Article published on 1 September 2022
So often, Councils invest large sums of public money in Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) in the belief they will appeal to all teenage users…
But what about the teenagers who aren’t interested in playing Football or Basketball? Isn’t it time to think of better ways to give all teens – both male and female – relevant open play spaces to have fun, exercise and hang out?
Recent research (July 2022) involving 379 teenage respondents by Yorkshire Sport has shown that teenage girls are often overlooked in the existing provision of public open spaces. Play and sport equipment choices for this age group tend to favour boys and the activities they prefer more. Additionally, the research concluded that this has a knock-on effect in that fewer teenage girls attend play and sports areas.
We delved further into the reasons why girls may not be as engaged with play spaces and the play equipment on them. Lacking ‘a swing appropriate for my age’ was top of their list, whereas boys wanted ‘outdoor gym equipment’*. MUGAs (Multi-Use Games Areas) are bottom of the girls’ preference list, only 25% wanting them, compared to 39% for boys. Teenage boys (50%) are also more likely to favour a sports field over their female counterparts, whereas the girls (30%) tend to favour a music and dance area more.
For the first time in the UK, there is a well-thought-out piece of research on this that uses sound methodology. This allows planners and those in the industry to draw quantitative conclusions that could further underpin future planning of play spaces nationally. On the face of it, there seems to be a lack of understanding of the needs of teenage groups which should be taken into consideration more during the consultation and design phase of a project.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
The good news however is that Proludic has a long history of creating open spaces which cater to everyone’s needs. Since 2005 we have actively been consulting with girls, developing innovative products and designing inclusive children’s play areas and teenage spaces.
For more than 15 years, Proludic has been challenging designs for open spaces to ensure they include engaging and inclusive features to benefit everyone. We were the first play equipment company to take a serious look at teen play provision. As a result, Proludic pioneered the MUSA (Multi-Use Sports Area) concept and the Dynamic range.
Proludic believes that a MUSA should be all-encompassing and appeal to a wider group of users. We also believe that fitness and strength building should form part of the multi-use experience, along with the development of new and existing skills. Although Proludic still offers the traditional MUGA as an option (depending on the needs of the community), in many cases, we find that the benefits of a MUSA overwhelmingly outweigh those of a simple ball court.
WHAT DOES A GOOD DESIGN LOOK LIKE?
Proludic has utilised our extensive experience in playground design and portfolio of over 1,200 products, to design play areas and open spaces which cater to the needs of both girls and boys. Our MUSA Concept has brought designs…
Therefore, for the same budget as a MUGA, a Multi-Use Social Area (MUSA) can offer up to twenty different activities. This allows sites to cater to a wider range of ages, genders, abilities and interests. View the case studies below for more design examples of what can be achieved:
WE CAN HELP…
Are you looking to upgrade or install new play and sports facilities in one of your open spaces?
Are you concerned about the suitability of your existing play and sports equipment? Would like some advice for the refurbishment of a new open space. We are one hand to advise. Do not hesitate to get in touch by clicking here.
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