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25 Nov 2022
Hundreds of school children had the opportunity to try out the interactive exhibit Playponics play equipment at an event in New Delhi last week. The equipment has been installed at the India Habitat Centre for the ‘Rakshak’ schools competition, at which students showcased short skit performances themed on sustainability. Lab4Living researcher Heath Reed was a judge in the competition, with the winning school being offered their own Playponics installation.
Schools competition
The Rakshak schools competition, programmed to take place before the 14th GRIHA Summit in December, provided an opportunity for students to showcase their understanding on concepts of sustainability through short performance skits. Heath joined an international panel of judges. Over 400 students took part in the competition. Young people were able to try out the play equipment, which harnesses energy from children’s play to grow crops. The Playponics installation has been set up in preparation for next month’s 14th GRIHA Summit, themed on looking towards net positive habitats.
The Playponics playground equipment has been researched and designed to help reconnect people with the natural world; it highlights the connections between environmental sustainability and our health and wellbeing. It has been developed and built with Ativa Design and young people from the Vahani Foundation. Many schools groups attending the Paryavaran Rakshak tested out the see-saws and the swing. The children were able to see how their play was used to move water around a garden to help keep crops thriving.
The Paryavaran Rakshak competion (14th – 18th of November), was organised by GRIHA Council to highlight the need for students to become involved in sustainable development. The successful event saw pupils from 44 schools perform with energy, humour and insight.
‘It was a real privelege to be a part of the Paryavaran Rakshak event. I was filled with respect for so many young people who cleary understood the kinds of challenges and choices they will be faced with in coming years’ (Heath Reed)
Heath Reed
Read more>> Playponics Pilot Playground installed in Uttar Pradesh, India
Partnership with GRIHA Council
Lab4Living partner GRIHA Council is a non-profit organisation set up by The Enegry Resources Institute (TERI) for India’s government to promote and administer the development of sustainable buildings and habitats through a building environmental rating system. Lab4Living is collaborating with GRIHA on some of the human aspects of buildings, and the ways design can be used to explore how people can be supported to stay longer in their homes as they age. The annual GRIHA summit provides a national and international platform for discussing sustainability issues, aiming to combat climate change and support happier and healthier lives for all.
Read more>> Lab4Living at Sheffield Hallam University signs memorandum of understanding with GRIHA
Developing the Playponics research
The Playponics equipment combines the benefits of physical play with systems that facilitate environmental infused science and technology education. It aims to instil better understandings in current and future populations of our relationship with the natural world. Future research will also focus on how it can contribute to health, nutrition and the ways we build knowledge around wellbeing and technology use.
The installation at the schools competition provides a valuable opportunity to showcase the Playponics equipment and recruit schools for the next phases of research. Next month’s summit provides an opportunity to recruit sponsors for the Playponics equipment from businesses and non-government organisations (NGOs) who will be attending.
Lab4Living at 14th GRIHA summit
Over 600 people are expected to attend this year sustainability summit on 15th-16th December in person, with 2000 more attending online. Heath Reed will be co-ordinating the Responsible Lifestyles session on Day One. Heath presented the Playponics concepts at the 2019 summit following his initial Lab4Living research trip to India in 2019 with design researcher Andy Stanton. Lab4Living director Prof Paul Chamberlain will be a panel member and speaker at this year’s main plenary session.