Parks as a Space for Children’s Outdoor Play in Urban Areas: A Case Study

Play is an indispensable part of childhood. Rapid urbanisation has negatively impacted children’s play, especially outdoor play. To tackle this issue, city planners and policymakers developed parks that allow children to play freely. Therefore, this study explored how parks create space for children for outdoor play and the factors that influenced the same. The study adopted an instrumental case study approach. The case for the study was the Saket G block park in Delhi. The data was collected through a year-long participant observation and interactions along with three days of complete non-participant observation. Thematic analysis was chosen as the data analysis method for the study. The major findings from the study were that, firstly, the park included children from different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. However, it was not disability inclusive. Secondly, the older children engaged in Games with Rules, while the younger children were involved in creative and locomotor play. Thirdly, the utilisation of play space by children in the park was determined by the available provisions and features offered by the space. Fourthly, the interactions of children who came in groups were limited to their respective groups. However, those who did not belong to any group interacted with others by finding means and shared interests that can provide an opportunity for interaction. Fifthly, there existed gender differences in the nature of play of children. Boys were more involved and engaged in physical play than girls. Lastly, adults influenced children’s play by controlling the game or situating children’s play around their activities in the park.