The Future Of Playgrounds - Personal Reflection of Exhibition
The Future Of Playgrounds exhibition in the National Museum of Singapore is created to deliver a message that though the playgrounds are not so prevalent in the landscape, they hold a unique place in people’s hearts and history. The exhibition also tells one person that playgrounds are not just for the kids or their parents but it's for everyone as the space is for interaction and a reflection of social values and attitude towards the fellow people. Playgrounds over years have been a form for basic and immediate needs of having to provide a space for play in our urban environment with the standards for maintenance and safety.
The signages used in the exhibition give us an insight on how the people looked at the playgrounds in that particular era. In the past zone, a signage, "It is very important to go to the playground, because it gives you a sense of openness and freedom, and you can smell the clean air" explains how one used to go to the playgrounds for a specific emotion and how these were spaces attached with sentiments rather than just a space. Another signage, "We want our children to be able to take challenges, to take risk, to be able to climb", used in the exhibition talks about the future of playgrounds and how children are supposed to risk in order to learn and this signage is also important as we can see that the world is moving towards the virtual world and kids tend to live in it so for the future generation, it is very important to engage with the playgrounds to be connected with the history and also to experience the various emotions one goes through at a playground.
The exhibition is successful at making everyone understand the significance of playgrounds and the transition of them. The children’s exhibition has given us the opportunity to feel nostalgic and various other emotions throughout the exhibition such as curiosity, engagement, excitement and delight. Everyone goes through a positive coaster of emotions irrespective of who’s entering the space, for example, a parent who is visiting the space might have experienced the feeling of nostalgia and perhaps curiosity as well, in the aspect of the future playgrounds and for that of a kid, who is joyful while interacting with the elements of the exhibition is also very curious about what is there in the other parts of the space.
A common feeling amongst all the visitors is the feeling of excitement to see a children’s playground museum that shows the transition in the generations of playgrounds. The ambience is created in such a way that visitors are engaging constantly and was made sure that a positive vibe is delivered to everyone which also delivers a message that playgrounds are not restricted to anyone and are accessible to everyone. The Mosaic wall has engaged most of the visitors by making them feel important by giving them a stage to tell their childhood playtime memory which they are really fond of.
