Play Blocks
Lei Zhang

Bring the neighbourhood together through play

The Play Blocks are about creating child friendly neighbourhoods and bringing the people together through play.

Play Block aims to support a child friendly neighbourhood with simple measures. In the Play Blocks, the streets are not only safe, but also intriguing to walk on. The design is inspired by board games, which creates unlimited possibilities of play journeys within a square of paperboard.

The graphic on the streets consists of painted games and areas for the community to create their own games, Daily Quiz, Knowledge Box and so on. Community input will increase the possibility and unpredictability of the play experience. Putting play into the community’s own hands also provides a form of social interaction between community members and a sense of ownership.
The Play Blocks also slow people down on the streets. Parents and children have more opportunities to meet neighbours and play with other children near their homes.

The game can also improve the link of local businesses and community services to the community. Game play such as ‘run to the big red Cafe dot’, ‘look for the yellow library square’, helping residents know what resources are around them.