On the Loop!

Mike, Brendan, Tim & Lindsay discuss foam!

Bump Mould!

it's been a long time since we blogged

Look out for new posts shortly of photos of our trip to the USA and the Snug Factory there! 

happy nearly new year

We've only just seen this image used by Playcore for their new year's card.

We like it a lot

And we hope it's going to be a very good year for Snug

as it goes into production in the USA

and the play revolution gathers momentum in the UK too.

We hope the rest of 2011 is good for you also. 

home

manifesting

We don't use twitter as much as maybe we should do, but a friend of ours does and came
across this link  to the blog of New York author, illlustrator and 'illustrated surface designer' 
containing play manifestos and all kinds of interestingness

...and it's well worth a read.

By the way, we are @snugandoutdoor on Twitter - please follow us if you tweet and let's see if 

we can build a strong network of creative playpeople. 

snugging the states

The Snugplayusa.com website is live and looking wonderful - please take a look.

snug tv

snug in the usa

Hattie and Tim are just back from the USA where they've been launching www.snugplayusa.com
with Playcore. This photo is of Lyndsay Richardson and Brendan Shanley of Playcore at the NAEYC and NRPA shows in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. The response to Snug in the USA was fantastic - lots of interest as the above article shows, taken from a US architectural magazine.

coffee table snug

We have just received our copy of Playground Design (Links Books, distributed by RIBA Books)
SNUG has an 8 page full colour spread and our experimental playground at Daubeney School is well featured.
This is an excellent and substantial publication of successful playgrounds from around the world  - well worth getting a copy

PLAYPUMP

Many thanks to Ned Crowe from Arup for passing on this fantastic way of pumping water using minimal technology and maximum fun.

the gathering

play beyond the playground

A wonderful gathering of artists and playful thinkers took place at Snug & Outdoor HQ last week.

Tim Gill - (http://www.rethinkingchildhood.com) Writer, researcher, adviser on children's play and childhood, Stuart Lester - Senior Lecturer in play at Gloucester University, Chris Meade - Director of If:book (http://www.bookfutures.com/) and long time co-conspirator, Chris O'shea - (http://www.chrisoshea.org) digital artist making playful public installations, Reem Charif architect/designer with Febrik, (http://febrik.org/) creating playful spaces with children in Lebanese refugee camps, Bruno Taylor (http://www.bigbrudesign.co.uk) and Vincenzo Vi Maria (http://www.vdmdesign.net) designers who subvert public space with play, and Hattie and Tim from Snug & Outdoor….

All day we discussed flexible space, disruptive space, play as the creation of uncertainty and of balance. We looked at playful wonders in refugee camps, school playgrounds, a Japanese plaza, Gillett Square, London bus stops… We ate delicious food, drank coffee and wine and agreed that this is fun and inspiring…

Who knows what next….?? 

chicago loving snug

We just had a lovely email from Sheila Scullin at the Chicago Children's Museum saying,

"The Snug Kit is a HUGE success. I’ve seen the most wonderful things take place in our gallery. My favorite so far has been children with severe physical disabilities getting a chance to get our of their wheelchairs and enjoy the kit. It’s been amazing.

More feedback soon!

from Chicago Now blog

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/wee-windy-city/2010/03/scenes-from-ready-set-move-at-the-chicago-childrens-museum.html

"Last week, I swung by the Chicago Children's Musuem with my three kids to pass the time on a gray and chilly afternoon. Although this is one of our favorite spots in Chicago, we hadn't visited in a few months. We were all excited to see the new updates and exhibits in place.

I was particularly impressed with the Ready, Set . . . Move! exhibit. This unassuming space contained a wide variety of large and unusual play items. I found the simplicity and design of this exhibit to be quite remarkable.

The materials themselves are not like anything that I have seen before. Options include everything from simple couch cushions to concave semi-circles that could be used as rocking seats or turned upside down to create raised stepping stones. The CCM staff unobtrusively encouraged my kids to move all of the components around and try the same piece in many different ways.

While I was watching my kids play, I noticed that the components seemed to spark a different sort of creativity and physical energy. According to the CCM website, "The components in Move are from the Snug Kit, developed by London-based artists Tim and Hattie Coppard. The award-winning Snug Kit makes its United States debut at Chicago Children's Museum."

I loved the fact that all three of my kids (ages 5 1/2, 3 1/2 and 14 months) had a great time in this space -- each of them using the materials in a different way.

Ready, Set . . . Move! will be at the CCM through May 16th. Check out the slideshow to get a better idea of what awaits you at this exhibit.

playful anarchy

Here's a link to a good article on the inspirational anarchist Colin Ward, recommended by Ken Warpole.

Stuart Brown does play on TED

dingdingdongdingdingdongding

Thanks to Birds of Lidingo for sending us this fancy footwork from Amsterdam. The foot piano is designed by Alfons Van Leggelo.

snow & outdoor

How fantastic to see snowsculptures and snowball fights all over town. Tell us if you see any unusual snow play happenings please. This bespectacled snowdrunk seen in Alexandra Palace.