PLAY WITH RISK
Designing opportunities for risk taking in play
MAKING SPACE FOR PLAY: Volume Five
ARCHES PLAYGROUND
GENE LEAHY MALL
OMAHA, NE
WHO WE ARE
STUDIO LUDO is a 501(c)3 woman led non-profit founded in 2015 whose mission is building better play through research, advocacy, and design.
We are architects, landscape architects, city planners, and social scientists who have collected user demographics, physical activity, and play behavior data on over 60,000 people in 100 play environments in the US and UK.
This dataset is the most current picture of behavior and user preference in play environments in the world, and directly influences all of our play space designs, from rooftops, to schoolyards, to neighborhood parks, to large scale destination playgrounds.
WHY PLAY
“Falling down is part of life. Getting back up is living.”
- Jose N. Harris
Play is how we learn about life. It is a safe space where we try, fail, and try again, growing into our best selves.
Adventurers, risk takers, and innovators are grown from childhoods of skinned knees, climbing trees, and rough and tumble play. Learning how to dust ourselves off as kids supports long-term emotional stability, physical wellness, and health and happiness throughout life.
OUR RESEARCH
After studying the play behavior of over 60,000 people in 100 different play environments, we have created the checklist of a great place to play.
We know that people enjoy being at Great Heights and moving at High Speeds They love Swinging, the most popular activity for all ages, and Climbing, the second most popular. They like having agency to change their environment with Loose Parts and Water Play.
They prefer playing in a Location close to home (1/2 mile), with Supports like benches, tables, and restrooms, in an immersive natural environment with Trees, preferably mature, and a sense of Enclosure with planting or fences.
OUR REFERENCES
People crave movement, joy, and connection. Our research shows that there are common play experiences that people of all ages gravitate to. Several other researchers, most notably Dr. Mariana Brussoni and Dr. Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, have studied play and quantified a specific type of behavior they call risky play
Dr. Brussoni focuses on injury prevention in youth and has found that engaging in risky play, particularly in an outdoor setting, can actually reduce the risk of injury.
Dr. Sandseter, in her thesis ‘Scary Funny - A Qualitative Study of Risky Play’, developed 6 categories of risky play, defining what risky play is and why kids do it.
GENE LEAHY MALL OMAHA, NE
ARCHES PLAYGROUND
GENE LEAHY MALL
OMAHA, NE
PLAY WITH RISK
Dr. Sandseter defines risky play as playing: at Great Heights, at Rapid Speeds, with Dangerous Tools, with Dangerous Elements, at Rough and Tumble, and at Disappearing/Getting Lost
These definitions align with our own findings and the checklist of a great place to play. This booklet expands on how our combined research informed the design of one of our large-scale design projects - the Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, part of the Omaha Riverfront Revitalization, designed in partnership with OJB Landscape Architecture, the City of Omaha, the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA), and HDR.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
When you take a risk, your brain changes. Risky play combines fun and stress - supercharging brain development. It can be stressful to climb all the way to the top of a climbing wall or tower, but learning to handle the stress makes you more resilient to future pressures.
Risky play develops executive function, the parts of your brain in charge of decision making. Bumps and scrapes are the feedback you need to make better choices. The only way to learn how to make good decisions is to practice making decisions.
ENTRY
ROPE FOREST (BELOW FACET)
EMBANKMENT SLIDES & SCRAMBLES
CLIMBING SLOPE
CAREGIVER SEATING
FACETED DECK
CAREGIVER SEATING
ARCH CLIMBERS
TREES & PLANTING
PLAY AT ARCHES
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall is a destination play space that provides balanced risk-taking opportunities for all ages, while still aligning with play safety guidelines.
Rolling Hills of artificial turf make up the bottom layer of the playground, providing accessibility and play.
ROLLING HILL
BOULDERING CAVE (BELOW FACET)
The Faceted Deck, with the Rope Forest and Bouldering Cave below, folds across the site creating interconnected play loops and shaded coves for play. The lower level is easily accessed via the Embankment Slides and Scrambles at the entrance.
The Arch Climbers bridge over the facet, growing in height and complexity to encourage play for all ages.
Caregiver Seating is provided with boulder slabs, benches, and tables placed to ensure clear lines of sight to play features and build social connections, while surrounded by Trees and Plantings for an immersive natural play experience for the whole family.
GREAT HEIGHTS
The Arches Playground provides a diversity of opportunities that build strength and character. The Bouldering Cave and Rope
Forest supercharge Gross and Fine
Motor development with a variety of climbing types, holds, and surfaces. The Arch Climbers support Courage and Bravery through graduated risk taking. Self Confidence is grown across the site with diverse challenges and Great Heights.
SELF CONFIDENCE
Achieving great heights gives a huge boost of physical confidence
COURAGE & BRAVERY
Testing limits at great heights supports the development of grit & resilience
GROSS & FINE MOTOR
Climbing supercharges hand, core, arm, & leg strength
HIGH SPEEDS
The Arches Playground has a variety of play experiences that supports Proprioceptive Growth and Vestibular Development. These include swinging on the Tot and Community Swings, sliding on the Embankment Slides in the playground and the adjacent renovated Twin Slides, and running, sliding, and leaping on the Faceted Deck High movement play brings Stress Relief for all ages by releasing endorphins and lowering cortisol.
PROPRIOCEPTIVE GROWTH
Diverse movements support body awareness, motor control, & self regulation
VESTIBULAR DEVELOPMENT
Moving quickly develops healthy balance, posture, & coordination
STRESS RELIEF
Playing at rapid speeds releases ‘feel good’ chemicals that keep us happy & healthy
ROUGH & TUMBLE
The Arches Playground has plenty of space to explore and test boundaries, which encourages Social Skill building. The Arch Climbers and Bouldering Cave provide for deep pressure activities like climbing, pushing, and pulling, also known as heavy work, that provide the inputs needed for healthy Sensory Processing. Large scale movement like leaping, spinning, and flipping upside down help with Emotional Regulation for people of all ages.
SENSORY PROCESSING
Varied sensory inputs, like resistance & impact activities, build healthy brains & bodies
EMOTIONAL REGULATION
Big feelings can be managed through big body movements
SOCIAL SKILLS
Energetic play gives a platform to test physical & social boundaries
LOST & FOUND
The Arches Playground has a single entrance, low fencing, and dense planting that provide a sense of Enclosure, ensuring caregiver comfort to give children freedom to roam. Exploring under the Faceted Deck and inside the Arch Climbers supports Thrill Seeking. Discovering complex environments like the Rope Forest and Play Tunnels foster Critical Thinking and Resilience, building confidence, curiosity, and problem solving.
RESILIENCE
As we grow, exploring beyond our caregivers builds confidence & grit
THRILL
SEEKING
Feeling ‘lost’ in a safe space fosters independence & self reliance
CRITICAL THINKING
New or complex environments promote exploration, curiosity, & problem solving
ARCHES PLAYGROUND
OMAHA, NE
GENE LEAHY MALL
IMAGES
COVER
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Studio Ludo
PAGE 2
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
PAGE 5
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Joshua Spitzig
PAGE 6
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
PAGES 8/9
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Jeff Durkin
PAGE 11
Top Center- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: MECA
Top Right- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Omaha World Herald
Center Left- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Millicent Harvey Center- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
Lower Left- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
Lower Right- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
PAGE 13
Top Left - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Omaha World Herald
Top Right - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Omaha World Herald
Center - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Omaha World Herald
Center Right - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Omaha World Herald
Lower Left - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Oh My Omaha
Lower Center - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Landscape Structures
PAGE 15
Top Left - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Jeff Durkin
Top Center - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Landscape Structures
Center - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Landscape Structures
Center Right - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Jeff Durkin
Lower Left - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Landscape Structures
Lower Right - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Jost
PAGE 17
Top Left - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
Top Right - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Jeff Durkin
Center Left- The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Fox Flight
Center - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Dan Schwalm
Lower Center - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Millicent Harvey
Lower Right - The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Ryan Fischer
PAGE 18
The Arches Playground at Gene Leahy Mall, Omaha, NE, Photo Credit: Joshua Spitzig
RESOURCES
London Study of Playgrounds: The Influence of Design on Play Behavior in London vs New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, ISSUU, 2017. Studio Ludo, Talarowski M.
National Study of Playgrounds: The Influence of Design on Use and Physical Activity, in 60 Playgrounds in 10 US Cities, ISSUU, 2022. Studio Ludo, Cohen D, Talarowski M, Han B, Williamson S, Galfond E, Young D, Eng S, McKenzie T.
Playground Design and Physical Activity, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2022. Cohen D, Talarowski M, Han B, Williamson S, Galfond E, Young D, Eng S, McKenzie T.
Innovative Playgrounds: Use, Physical Activity and Implications for Health, Public Health, 2019. Talarowski M, Cohen DA, Williamson S, Han B.
The First National Study of Neighborhood Parks: Implications for Physical Activity, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2016. Cohen D, Han B, Nagel C, Harnik P, McKenzie T, Evenson K, Marsh T, Williamson S, Vaughan C, Katta S.
Playground Design: Contribution to Duration of Stay and Implications for Physical Activity, Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023. Cohen D, Talarowski M, Han B, Williamson S, Galfond E, Young D, Eng S, McKenzie T.
Playground Locations and Patterns of Use, Journal of Urban Health, 2023. Young D, McKenzie T, Eng S, Talarowski M, Han B, Williamson S, Galfond E, Cohen D.
Scary Funny - A Qualitative Study of Risky Play, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department of Psychology, 2010, Sandseter, E.
Risky Play and Children’s Safety: Balancing Priorities for Optimal Child Development, International Journal Environmental Research and Public Health, 2012, Brussoni M, Olsen L, Pike I, Sleet D.
“THE
MORE ALLOW TO TAKE CARE
THE BETTER THEY CHILDREN TO TAKE OF THEMSELVES.” YOU
RISKS LEARN
ROALD DAHL