Of course it is important for children to be consulted; to learn aboutworking together with adults; about decision making and democracy. Butit is a myth that this produces good playgrounds. There is little, ifany, solid evidence that the "consultation" playground is owned by thechildren and therefore valued. Possibly for a year or two but the nextgeneration will fail to view it as theirs unless it is tied into along-term playwork programme.
A professional designer with a sound knowledge of child development, theneeds of children and the play value of individual items is far morelikely to come up with good play spaces. There are a few such designersbut they are not speaking at the Children Now conference. Are weseriously suggesting that children have a greater understanding of theirneeds or is it just fashionable political correctness?
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