Construction playground (byggelegeplads), or junk playground (skrammellegeplads), is a term for a defined public outdoor space where children can play and use their imagination. Unlike an ordinary playground, there are no swings, climbing frames, sandboxes or the like, as they are based on the idea that children thrive best when they have good opportunities to express themselves creatively. The first construction playground in Denmark was created during World War II, on 15 August 1943, in Emdrup – precisely on Keldsøvej. The architect behind the playground was Dan Fink, together with the garden architect C. Th. Sørensen. Here, among other things, the children built houses from recycled materials. This very idea spread to the rest of the world in the years that followed, but it was not until 1947 that further scramble playgrounds were opened in Denmark. By 1965, there were 11 recognised scramble playgrounds spread across the country. It was also during this time that the name “scramble playground” began to be used – and the word “construction playground” became increasingly popular, and this was also the name given to the newly established playgrounds. However, some were still more in favour of the original name, while others felt that “active playgrounds” was more apt.
Watch the documentaries:
‘Byggelegepladser. Børns ret til at lege‘
Verdens ældste byggelegeplads fylder år: Sådan så den ud engang