Användning av lekplatser : en fallstudie i Vänersborgs kommun

Sammanfattning: The aim with this report is to investigate what influence the way playgrounds are used throw the case study in Vänersborg, and also to find methods for municipalities to collect information about how playgrounds are used. The methods were observations, interviews with parents and children, a questionary with questions about what playgrounds they used, how often and why they used them and what the children used to do there. There was also a demographic investigation and documentary research. The most popular playground, Skräcklan, gets visitors from all parts of the municipality. It is located in a park with a view over the lake Vänern, there is a parking place and a café and it has furthermore a large area and many play equipments. Many of the families make shorter trips and picnics to this place. In exception of this playground, the families almost always go to the playground in their neighborhood and their part of the town. In a few cases they visit playgrounds further away when they visit relatives or in connection with an activity. The centrally situated playgrounds in every district have the larges number of visitors. They are reachable by families from all edges of the district and are located in the way to shops or regular activities. If they beside this are large, have suitable play equipments, beautiful surroundings and are well maintained, they are used more frequently. The most common reason why families choose a special playground is that it is close to their home. They also use the playground that is closest to their home more frequently then the other playgrounds. The pre-schools visit playgrounds more infrequently than the families. Most of them use the playground that is closest to the pre-school. Besides closeness, a safe and accessible way to the playground is important and also pulka hills and play equipment that offers a change from the equipment at the pre-school. Several of the pre-schools write that children use to climb trees and to play hide and seek. Childminders also use playgrounds. Childminders who have access to playgrounds at housing estates do not visit the municipality playgrounds as frequently as the childminders who have not. Almost all of the families, who do not use playgrounds at all, live in the countryside far from the town and larger villages. Playgrounds in the backyards of housing estates are sometimes mentioned as reasons why the families use the municipality playgrounds more infrequently but seldom as reason for not using them at all. Play equipment in private gardens are very seldom mentioned as a reason for not using playgrounds. In a few answers, families write that they rather play in the forest than at the playground. It is a more common answer among the pre-schools. Childminders also make trips to the forest. Many of the parents and children seem to use the playground as a meeting place, older children gather there to play tag in the surroundings and the families can also come to knew new friends at the playgrounds. Many families like the large playground where there is a lot of children but sometimes playgrounds are described as small and cosy, and it also occurs that they like the calmness on playgrounds where there are not so many children. The playground is often a goal for trips and walks. As a meeting place and a goal for trips the well defined playgrounds has an important function. Many parents and children seem to be interested in playgrounds. They often like to talk about them and have a lot of opinions and ideas.