Pound’s Park has brought play, nature and new opportunities for people to spend time together into the heart of Sheffield city centre. But what can a well-designed play space contribute to a city beyond the play itself?

In this episode, Beth Cooper is joined by Professor Helen Woolley, Head of the School of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Sheffield, to explore the relationship between play, landscape and public life.

From coining the influential term Kit, Fence, Carpet (KFC) to helping embed landscape design into Timberplay, Helen reflects on the limitations of conventional playgrounds and the opportunities created by more natural, varied and challenging environments. Together, they explore what it means to design places around people, why children’s voices need to be heard, and how play can become part of everyday urban life rather than something confined to designated spaces.

The conversation also draws on Helen’s research into children’s play in very different contexts, including post-disaster Japan, before returning to Pound’s Park and what its use reveals about the role of play in a changing city centre.

Whether you’re involved in landscape architecture, placemaking, public policy or play, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at how we create places that welcome children and make room for play.

What else you’ll hear:

• How the Kit, Fence, Carpet model came about, and why Helen began questioning the play value of conventional playgrounds.
• What children’s use of skateboards and public spaces reveals about how we design cities.
• The lessons Helen learned from observing children’s play following the disaster in Japan.
• Why time, space and the support of playworkers were vital to children’s opportunities to play.
• What surprised Helen about the number of adults using Pound’s Park.
• How landscape, levels, seating and varied play opportunities can support inclusion, challenge and social connection.
• Why risk, nature and children’s freedom to explore deserve greater consideration in public space.

Find out more:

University of Sheffield – Helen Woolley

Play Attention is a podcast from Timberplay - exploring the thinkers, designers and changemakers shaping the future of play.

Hosted by Beth Cooper, Independent Play Consultant.

Theme music by Dave Mullen Jnr

Connect with Timberplay:
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Timberplay

Over the past year, we’ve asked every Play Attention guest the same question: if you could click your fingers and change one thing tomorrow to improve opportunities for play, what would it be?

For Episode 10, we bring their answers together in a montage of ideas, hopes and provocations.

From practical changes to big ambitions, from heartfelt reflections to calls to challenge the rules, the answers reveal the many different ways people are thinking about a better future for play.

Some guests chose one thing. A few broke the rules and wanted two...

Together, their voices create a fascinating picture of what could change — and what might be possible if we made more space for play.

Who you'll hear from:

Professor Helen Dodd, Professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter; Dr Sarah Louise Hurst, Clinical Psychologist | Founder of Fortitude Mums; Ash Perrin, Founder of The Flying Seagull Project; Anamaria Castillo, Landscape Strategies Director at KALQ Studio; Scott Chalmers, Head of Green Infrastructure at Urban&Civic; Cas Holman, author, designer, educator and play expert; Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England; Parth Divekar, Founder & Managing Director of Grade Landscape Architecture; Ben Tawil and Mike Barclay, Founders of Ludicology; Emma Bearman, Founder of Playful Anywhere and Jenny Rutherford, Play Strategy Officer at Leeds City Council.

Play Attention is a podcast from Timberplay - exploring the thinkers, designers and changemakers shaping the future of play.

Hosted by Beth Cooper, Independent Play Consultant.

Theme music by Dave Mullen Jnr

Connect with Timberplay:
Instagram
LinkedIn

Timberplay

What does it actually mean for children to have enough opportunities to play?

In this episode, Beth Cooper is joined by Mike Barclay and Ben Tawil from Ludicology to explore the idea of play sufficiency - a principle that is quietly reshaping how councils, planners, schools and communities think about children's everyday lives.

Rather than seeing play as something that happens only in playgrounds, Mike and Ben explain why play depends on three essential ingredients: time, space and permission. Together they discuss how listening to children has transformed their understanding of what makes places truly playable and why creating great play opportunities is about everyone-from planners and landscape architects to transport teams, schools and local authorities-playing a role.

The conversation also explores real-world examples from Wales and across England, including Leeds' pioneering work on play sufficiency, and asks what it would take to create neighbourhoods where children can once again play as part of everyday life.

Whether you're involved in placemaking, education, public policy, or care about creating better places for children, this episode offers a fresh perspective on what thriving communities really look like.

What else you'll hear:

• Why play sufficiency is about much more than playgrounds.
• The three conditions every child needs: time, space and permission.
• How children's perspectives challenge adult assumptions about play.
• Why play is everyone's responsibility – from planners to public health.
• The story behind Leeds' pioneering work on play sufficiency.
• Why playable neighbourhoods matter more than destination playgrounds.
• How simple policy changes could transform children's everyday lives.

Find out more:

Ludicology

Child Friendly Leeds

Tim Gill - Rethinking Childhood

Play Attention is a podcast from Timberplay - exploring the thinkers, designers and changemakers shaping the future of play.

Hosted by Beth Cooper, Independent Play Consultant.

Theme music by Dave Mullen Jnr

Connect with Timberplay:
Instagram
LinkedIn

Timberplay