Playing for Keeps: How a Finnish playground maker is revolutionizing the concept of play
Playgrounds ain’t what they used to be. With heavy focus on four I’s - interactive, inclusive, immersive, intuitive – progressive modern playgrounds are engaging entire generations.
Rob Tuitert, Innovations Manager for Interactives at Lappset, points out that when kids play, they are actually learning a range of new things simultaneously.
“On the playground, kids learn how to cope with others and gain negotiating skills. The way kids play is – most of the time – intuitive and unconditional,” says Tuitert.
Hailing from Rovaniemi, Lapland, Lappset makes state-of-the-art playground equipment that merges gaming with outdoor activities – with ground-breaking results. Joining Lappset in 2006, Tuitert continues to be amazed by the way kids play to this day.
“The biggest surprise is that, even after all this time, kids keep surprising you,” grins Tuitert, who heads Lappset’s R&D team, located in the Netherlands.
Celebrate inclusive play with Lappset Sona!
Eye on the fundamentals
And while Tuitert can cite studies listing the multiple educational benefits of play, he’s the first to insist that playing is all about having fun.
“Kids just play. It’s inherent in everything they do.”
The knock against playgrounds is often that they still feature the same-old swings and sand boxes – and that resonates poorly with the screen-savvy kids of today. The R&D team at Lappset recognized this challenge already twenty years ago and chartered a course powered by technology and smart design.
“The big trend is both using technology – and staying away from it,” says Tuitert, explaining that no phones are needed at the playground.
Rob Tuitert, the Group Innovations Manager and Managing Director of Interactives, is responsible for developing Lappset's technology products at Lappset Nederland in the Netherlands.
Playgrounds with IQ
Harrie Kerkhof, Product Manager for Interactives at Lappset, says that there are already over 1,000 smart playgrounds out there – courtesy of the Finnish pioneer.
“In 2023 alone, we delivered 448,473 hours of play,” he lays down the numbers.
At Lappset, a big part of the R&D is keenly observing the way kids play and act.
“Testing with actual kids should always be a main ingredient in our developments,” says Rob Tuitert.
Another key take-away from the R&D wizards: don't overdesign. “You must give freedom and creativity to the users. Keep it simple,” says Tuitert.
Come together, right now
Harrie Kerkhof says that the challenge is often, how do you activate the inactive? “We use various ways of gamification to make play more compelling – and we invite all to do it,” Kerkhof says, adding that the Lappset demographic is not 0 - 12 years, but, instead, 0-100+ years, including people with disabilities, for instance.
“Today, the target group is more expansive and the need more critical than ever. Above all, the diversity in our sport and playground offering needs to match today's demands,” Kerkhof says.
Example: Creating a soccer pitch surely activates those interested in soccer. But how can we activate perhaps a less sports-oriented person who is not comfortable on a soccer field?
“This person might be activated with other offerings, like math challenges, problem-solving, creativity, music, and play values that haven’t been offered before in more traditional playgrounds,” Kerkhof points out.
In recent years, Lappset has built an impressive roster of cutting-edge interactive playsets: Sona is a bust-a-move dance and playing arch; Toro is a no-holds-barred sports arena; Fono is a celebration of music; Memo makes learning fast and furious.
“One key rule is making it intuitive. And when the playset is not too hard – and not too easy, either – the player stays encaged,” Kerkhof says.
Harrie Kerkhof works as a Product Manager for interactive products at Lappset Nederland in the Netherlands.
Going digital
Rob Tuitert looks back at the Lappset evolution of play: Smartus, the first technology playground product was launched in 2005, with the development of Sona hot on its heels in 2006.
“In 2010, we went online with our playgrounds, meaning that we can monitor and update our systems,” Tuitert says, likening software development to that big chunk of the iceberg that is under water.
“We’re also using AI on many levels already: For coding, analyzing, translation, audio development, and also training our interactive systems.” Over-all, the Lappset R&D team features skill sets that focus on engineering, product development, software and game development as well as interaction technology.
GenGames emerging
From the elderly to hospitals and classrooms, play can re-energize you – and it can help grandparents connect with their grandchildren, for example.
“More and more, families as a whole are emerging as a key target group, with different generations playing together.”
Tuitert is a torchbearer for play if ever there was one, having even given a TED Talk on the topic. He says that the essence of play is so extraordinary, since play is always focused but never forced.
“Playfulness is simply crucial, since it is the key to all innovation, too.”
Children playing Sona