Following on from their successful Fun Theory campaign, Volkswagen create more playful interventions in the name of viral advertising.
An idea that I’ve seen discussed many times before but not put into practice, VW put a slide into an underground train station in Berlin, giving people a fast way down, as this video shows…

As Carsten [...]

How much do I enjoy the work of Friends With You? More than chocolate & cake, that’s how much. If I could, I’d live inside one of their spaces instead of grey old Britain.
“Established in 2002 by Miami-based artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, FriendsWithYou set forth on a mission to spread the idea [...]

The Pool by Jen Lewin is a really interesting and modular approach to creating a light based game / playground space…
“The Pool is an environment of giant, concentric circles created from interactive, wireless circular pads. By entering the pool, you enter a world where play and collaborative movement can create a cascading effect of swirling [...]

The Boom Bench by Michael Schoner of NL Architects…
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“As a part Urban Play 2, Droog Design and curator Scott Burnham have asked NL Architects to bring in ideas for interactive urban interventions. Urban Play is an exhibition and an interactive route along the IJ River. Urban Play believes that “street-level inventiveness, energy and innovation [...]

A wonderful bronze playground by New York sculptor Tom Otterness. Private commission, edition of 6. Love the little hidden details and the feeling of climbing the giant.
Small video here. Prototype images of a different playground via google.

PlayPumps have been around since 1994, but its such a great simple concept worthy of reminding ourselves about. They are aiming to install 4000 pumps by 2010 with public donations.
“The PlayPump systems are innovative, sustainable, patented water pumps powered by children at play. Installed near schools, the PlayPump system doubles as a water pump [...]

Following on the swing theme, the Sense Light Swing from Lervik Design:
“Made from plastic with fibre optic lighting inserted. On a dark summer night the swing creates a spectacular light show that lights up a whole garden in the most beautiful way.”
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Bruno Taylor
Swing Lamp

Bruno Taylor sent in two of his projects. The first is hijacking public spaces to make them more playful, in this case adding swings to London bus stops.
“71% of adults used to play on the streets when they were young. 21% of children do so now. Are we designing children and play out of [...]