Never Too Old to Play: Rethinking American Playgrounds | Meghan Talarowski | TEDxPhiladelphia

Remember the playgrounds of your childhood? The giant swings and warp speed merry go rounds? But look around today and find a sea of rubber and plastic "bubble wrapped" play. Find out how American playgrounds can "spark joy" again, for all ages. Meghan Talarowski is the founder and director of Studio Ludo, a non-profit dedicated to building better play through research, design, and advocacy. She has degrees in architecture and landscape architecture, over 15 years of experience in the design field, and is a certified playground safety inspector. Her research focuses on how the design of play environments impacts physical health and social behavior, and has been presented at conferences worldwide. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, Medium, Next City, Landscape Architecture Magazine, and World Landscape Architecture Magazine. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@patrumbaugh716]

Meghan did a fantastic job of getting us Americans to think about playgrounds and places where we go to play in her latest TEDxTalk. Way to go!

[@rethinkingchildhood]

As a Londoner and a seasoned advocate of outdoor, adventurous play, I'm proud of some of my city's public play spaces (and have had a hand in one or two). It's great to hear your reflections and insights Meghan, as a kindred spirit and fellow playground aficionado. America needs you!

[@FitnessExplorer]

Love this talk and you highlighting the differences in playgrounds for the US vs the UK. I totally agree that we need to encourage play for people of all ages and abilities!

[@teletubbymeme8171]

Teletubby meme