hand-made play

Playtime in Africa: Site and global supporters

I’m honoured that this research, and the 雨の日の宝物(Rainy Day Treasures) Pamphlet was a source of inspiration for the Playtime in Africa project that aims to “turn two acres of land in the Dzorwulu neighborhood into a groundbreaking natural playspace”.
Global supporters map [HERE]
Playtime in Africa WEBSITE

Patterns of Play Research

Rough categorization working draft of gender/age/materials/concepts for Patterns of Play research. 108 examples of self-initiated, non-commercial play: View Data Sheet.

Hideout | 秘密の基地

これもキャンプ。ごはんをいっしょにたべたりしていたよ。トンカのテントでねころびながらね。せんたくばさみはごはんをつくるやつ。ふたつのテントがある、どっちもトンカがつくった。あとでさ、でかいのをつくるから。
This is camp. We ate together and stuff, lying around in my tent. We use the pegs for cooking. There are two tents and I made them both…. I’ll make a bigger one later.

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 6.
Materials: cushion, chair, towel, peg.
Concepts: together, confined space, my own space, build, create.

Tree Climbing | 木登り

1こわい。
2おりれなくなっていた。ひとりでのぼったんだね。こわい、これいじょう上いったらおれるから。さかになっているからおちたらしにはしないけどバン！とゴーとおちる。
1This is scary.
2I couldn’t get down. I climbed up by myself but it was scary. If I had gone up any further the branch would’ve broken. It’s a slope so if I fell I wouldn’t have died but I would’ve landed with a pretty big thump!

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 6.
Materials: Music
Concepts: together, high places, control, challenge, nervous.

Concert | コンサート

あ！これおもいだした！げきとかおどりとかだよ。[I remember this! Dancing and putting on a show and stuff!]

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 6.
Materials: Music, Castanets, Decorations, Audience.
Concepts: Dress Up, Dangle, Amuse, Entertain, Together.

Hideout | 秘密の基地

[1]キャンプ!
[2]あ！トンカとくうあでつくったやつ。あれさ、いつもよりぜんぜんいいいえだよ。きょう、これがおわったらこれまたつくりたい。（このいえのどこがよかった？）これさ、入るばしょがちゃんとある。あとここからそとも見える。見えないけどあえがふったら
[1]かさがある！
[2]入り口はね、あのピンクのやつ。（いえに入ってなにやるの？）本とかよんだり、ごはんをつくったり・・あとサッカーボールもかばんも入れたんだよ。キャンプするときはかならずかばんをもっていくんだよね。（かばんのなかに何入れる？）本とかおもちゃとか・・あまりつかわないけどね。ぜんぜんつかわないけど本をちょっとつかう。
（くうちゃんは？）
[1]あの、ちょっとかばんにいっぱいいれて・・・
[2]あとマッムー[ぬいぐるみ]も入れた。マッムーはだいたいごはんのときにしかいないけどかいものも。うちゅうじんのばしょにおいしいやつはあるからそれをたべた。（だれがこの家をつくった？）トンカとくうあがつくった二人で。

[1]Camp!
[2]We made this together! This one is heaps better than the other one (we just looked at). When we finish this let’s make another one. (What was good about this one?) It’s got a proper entrance, and you can see out here. And you can’t see, but if it rains..
[1]There’s an umbrella!
[2]The entrance is that pink part. (What do you do in there?)Read books….cook…we also have a soccer ball and backpack. We always take a bag when we go camping. (What do you have in the bag?) Books and toys…we don’t use them much, but we do read the books a bit.
(How about you Cua?)
[1]Umm, I put heaps of stuff in the bag…
[2]And we took Mamoo [soft toy]. Mamoo is usually only around when we eat or go shopping. The place around here where the aliens are has some nice things which we ate. (Who made this house?) We made it together.

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 6.
Materials: Desk, Towels, Laundry Rack, Chair, Pegs.
Concepts: Confined Space, My Own Space, Build, Together.

Space Camp | 宇宙キャンプ

[1]これでさ、あさおきてすぐいえをつくった。なかまをもってきて、けんももってきて・・あったかいしたのしい。このラーメンなくなったけどね。（朝からラーメン？）だってこれががキャンプだよ、よるのキャンプ、ほんとうはあさだけどね。　いえだけどテントだよ。（誰が行く？）。ぼくとくうあ(妹)とマッムー(ぬいぐるみ)。（どこに行った？）うちゅう。つめたい月でね、テントをはって、いっぱいくうきを入れてくらしていた。かえるときはテントをひこうきにへんけいさしてかえったんだよ。（寒くない？）ふとんでできているだから大丈夫。
（くうあは？）[2]くうあは、マッムーといっしょにエンジンのばしょでやすんでいて。うちかえるときはスクーターでいって。いくときもスクーター。キャンプにいったときはかばんをもって。
1それでうちゅうじんがきたんだよ。けんをもって、うちゅう人とたったかって、かったんだよ。でもあそびだからね、ほんとうのはなしじゃないね。あそんでいるんだけどほんとうと思ってやってたのしい。

[1]We made this as soon as we woke up. We got our toys, and our swords – really warm, and fun. This ramen we had is all gone though (ramen for breakfast?) That’s because this is camp, and at night. Of course it’s really morning though. It’s our house but also a tent. (Who went with you?) Me and Cua and Mamoo [soft toy]. (Where did you go?) We went to space. To the cold moon. We set up our tent and pumped in a whole lot of oxygen. Then, on our way home we turned the tent into an aeroplane. (Weren’t you cold?) It’s a futon, so we were OK.
(How about you, Cua?) [2]I relaxed with Mamoo in the engine room. We went, and also came home by scooter. And I took my bag with me.
[1]And then an alien came and I took to him with my sword and won! It’s just play though, not real. It’s play but it’s fun to pretend….

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 6.
Materials: Futon, Blanket, Cooking Set, Bags.
Concepts: Confined Space, Cozy, My Own Space, Create, Cooking, Eat, Organize, Travel, Outer Space, Aliens.

Pirate Mask | 海賊仮面

パイレット（海賊）。「誰とやっていた？」ひとりでやっていた。それでママにみせた。笑っていた、それいいね！っていっていた。かわいいとかかっこういいっていっていた。ママが。

I’m a pirate. (Who did you do this with?) By myself. Then I showed mum. She laughed, and said ‘great!’ and said I looked cute and cool.

Player: Girl, 3.
Materials: Pen, Paper, Tape.
Concepts: Create, Draw, Stick, Mask, Monster, Different Vision, Scare.

Boxed In | 箱の中

これおもしろかったんだね。このダンボールもうなくなっちゃったんだけどダンボールの中にさ、とんかたちが入って、まえやっていたみたいににんぎょうを入れてあったかくしてさいごにぶっこわれた。わらっているじゃん。おふろうみたいにした。みんなといっしょに。これがあったかくなるんだよ。

This was fun. We got in this box (we don’t have it anymore though) and like we did before we put in some toys and warmed it up….then smashed it in the end….. See, we’re laughing…. It’s like a bath. All in together. Warm.

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 6.
Materials: Cardboard Box, Soft Toy.
Concepts: Destroy, Confined Space, Energetic, Together.

Laptop | ノートパソコン

コンピューター。しろいコンピューターがないからこれにしたんだよ。トムとジェリーがでた。いっぱいでた。たのしかった。

Computer. I couldn’t use my white computer so I used this one. I watched Tom and Jerry. A lot. It was fun.

Player: Girl, 3.
Materials: DVD Case, Greeting Card.
Concepts: Create, Assemblage, Mimic

Batting | 室内野球

ボールを上にやってさ、なんかのぼうでさ、バン！でやってさ、くうあにしゃしんをとってもらって、ボールがおちているときにバン！ってやったらくうあがしゃしんをとる。

I threw the ball up, and with some stick I smacked it down. Then my sister took a photo… as the ball came down I hit it and she took the photo….

Players: Boy, 7; Girl, 3
Materials: Map rolled up as a bat, Soccer Ball, Camera
Concepts: Photography, Mimic, Control, Reflexes, Energetic

Rollerskates | ローラースケート

あれさ、足につけてシュウシュウってやるスキーみたいにやりたいんだけどさ・・・できなかった。
ひもでやってるけどひもがちっちゃくて、「もうつかっちゃだめ」といわえれたからできなかった。一個しかできなかったから一個だけでこっちのへやでやって楽しかった。ちょっとできた。ちゃんとできたらもうちょっとシューシューみたいになっていたと思うけど。

This is something that I wanted to put on my feet like skis…. but I couldn’t. I needed a more string but mum told me I couldn’t use any more so I could only make one. But anyway, I slid about a bit with only one and it was fun…. I’m sure that if I could have made the other one I could have skiied properly though.

Player: Boy, 7
Materials: Duplo, String
Concepts: Create, Copy, Tie, Movement

Bedtime | 寝る時間

「これね、ねかせてたりしてね・・これプーさんでしょう。ごはんを食べなさいとかをいってね。これプーさんで、これがペット。それでこれがベッド、ティッシュあるでしょう。」
She was putting them to bed. This is Winnie the Pooh.. And she said stuff like “eat your dinner”… This is Winnie the Pooh and this is ‘Pet’. And this is the bed…see, here’s the tissue paper.

Player: Girl, 2.
Materials: Tissues, Dolls.
Concepts: Sleep, Take Care Of, Mimic, Line Up.

Street Sweeper | 公園清掃人

「おそうじ。」
(何をきれいにしている?)
「きたないやつ。こうやってシュッシュってやって、またこうやってやって、またこうやってやるんだよね～。それでごはんたべてたの、ふたれで。」

Cleaning up.
(What were you cleaning up?)
Dirty stuff. Like this – ‘shu-shu’, and this, and then like this again. Then we had something to eat together.

Player: Girl, 3.
Materials: Branch, Leaves.
Concepts: Take Care Of, Clean, Sweep, Organize.

Maze | 迷路

「せんろうをつくるやつ」
(それでなにした?)
「こうやってこうやってこうやって・・・」

I made a railway track.
(What did you do?)
I went round-and-around-and-around like this….

Player: Girl, 3.
Materials: Book.
Concepts: Follow, Maze, Lines, Geometric.

Birthday Cake | 誕生日ケーキ

（何つくっていたの?）
ケーキ。いちごケーキ。パパとはるくんとトンちゃんと、あとママとはるばあと、ごさん、あとはるくんのママ・・・ケーキをつくっていたの。はだしだもん。

(What did you make?)
Cake. Strawberry cake. Daddy, Haru-kun, Ton-chan…and Mummy, Haru’s grandma, Go, and Haru’s mummy… We made cake….. With our shoes off.

Players: Girls, 3, 2.
Materials: Gravel, Sand, Sticks.
Concepts: Create, Cooking, Gather, Balance, Celebration/Event, Birthday

Feeding Time | 餌の時間

「1おやつあげていた・・」
「2にんげんに。」

1We were giving them some snacks..
2To the people….

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 7.
Materials: Duplo, Food.
Concepts: Taking Care Of, Feeding, Balance, Tall, Create.

Check-up | 診察

「1びょういんだ、びょういん。それでさ、くうあが手がいたいというからこうやってやってさ、ガンガンガン・・・あとね、おもちゃのナイフでね、チョキーシダン!ってやってるんだよ。」
(くうちゃんはこれでよくなった？)
「2うん!」
1This is a hospital. She was saying that her hand was sore so I was going BANGBANGBANG on it… then, I got a toy knife and went SLASH!
(And did that make your hand feel better?)
2Yep!

Players: Girl, 3; Boy, 7.
Concepts: Mimic, Take Care Of, Be Taken Care Of, Control, Relinquish Control, Together.

Slide | すべり台

「これはね、ちょっとスキーやってるみたいでたのしかっただよね。」
“This was fun – kinda like going skiing….”

Players: Girl, 3; Boy; 7.
Materials: Cardboard Box, Slope (Material).
Concepts: High Places, Slope (Concept), Speed, Nervous, Crash, Together, Trust.

Sleeper Compartment | 寝台

「ごはんたべて、デザートたべて、おにいちゃんがおにぎりをつくって、くうあがデザートをつくったとき・・」

“This was when we had lunch and desert…. my brother made lunch and I made desert…..”

Player: Girl, 3.
Materials: Jacket (Cloth).
Concepts: Hide, Cozy, Warm, Dark, Different Vision, Confined Space.

雨の日の宝物(Rainy Day Treasures) Pamphlet

“……These safe and slow pathways are perfect for tiny feet and their larger commute-weary companions. Dense greens and colourful scented collages reside at the height and scale of little eyes and noses. Irrepressible hands thrive on the mixture of gravel, sand, grass, rocks, sticks and fallen fruit that compose Tokyo carpets. In summer developing ears drink in crickets, cicadas and neighbourhood rustlings….”

A small study on the child’s perception of the street. This document traces the everyday treasures of a rainy day walk to the local sento in suburban Tokyo. It is part of a broader and slightly wonky research and practice agenda on the hand made, everyday creativity, play, and usable environments.

A5, 112 pages

VIEW extracts and high-res images of all pages [On FLICKR]
VIEW the pamphlet on SLIDESHARE.
DOWNLOAD the pamphlet [HERE] (PDF, 15MB)

hand-made play notes from a collaborative + open research project investigating, enjoying, and learning from the self-initiated non-commercial play of children in Tokyo