Vabamänguala

Tallinn, Estonia
2022

playful interaction temporary intervention loose parts play adventure playground co-design participation

Vabamänguala, or free play area in Estonian, was a playful urban intervention that brought visibility to children’s need for unstructured, unsupervised play outdoors, and to their right to participate and act in public space. Developed for Vivita Estonia in collaboration with Joonas Riisalu and Teele Kumm.

As part of the "Future is Now" urban festival in Tallinn, this installation, inspired by the theory of loose parts, used different-sized pipes (sponsored by Pipelife) to encourage children to engage in free, unstructured play—essential for developing creativity, problem-solving, and social skills. It highlighted the importance of public spaces where children can freely experiment and create their own play environments, as well as the need for cities to support children’s autonomy in public spaces.

Set up for unscripted and imaginative play, the installation offered children the opportunity to interact with peers and adults, while parents were invited to reflect on the time and space they provided for their children to play unsupervised. More importantly,

by involving various stakeholders from the private and governmental sectors, the project helped shift perspectives on children’s participation at higher levels of decision-making.

Following the success of this initial project, Vivita Estonia implemented other playful interventions in collaboration with the Rotermanni Quarter in Tallinn, Tallinn City Council, and Vivita Lithuania in Vilnius.

Roles & responsibilities

Research & conception
Project management
Creative ideation
Prototyping
Team management
Workshop facilitation
Event coordination

Photos © Vivita Estonia

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