VABADUSE PLATS: väljakutseid pakkuva mitteformaalse õpikeskkonna loomine noorte demokraatliku osaluse suurendamiseks, vaimse ja füüsilise tervise toetamiseks, jätkusuutlikku mõtteviisi juurutamiseks ja loovuse elavdamiseks.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasises children’s right to autonomy, agency, and free play. Yet there is extensive scientific proof that the lives of the children have become increasingly regulated and controlled, leaving them without valuable experience of healthy risk-taking and autonomous free play, especially outdoors. With the loss of freedom, initiative and creativity are suppressed. Kids are getting more passive, dependent and alienated from democratic participation processes and lack everyday skills. Past years’ experience with Covid pandemic has only intensified these problems: young people have become more screen- and indoor-centered, physically inactive and mentally distressed. This problem is reinforced by the public space: in the Baltic states there are either none or not enough outdoor spaces for the youth that are freely accessible and respond to the developmental needs of the youth. Research indicates that local youth workers lack knowledge, skills and tools to support the needs described above. The necessity to support the youth in becoming mentally and physically healthy, creative, active citizens is obvious and grave.

Looking for innovative forms of youth participation, COE (Council of Europe) has suggested creating participatory environments “which are supportive to and encouraging of participation, within which individuals are free to act and develop initiatives as they see fit.” Autonomous self-directed play with reused materials respond better to the developmental needs of the children than most modern and expensive playgrounds. Proposed approach addresses different developmental needs of our target groups: according to research, kids aged 9-13 need independance, inclusion and risk taking; kids aged 13-18 need leadership, influencing and problem solving. We also acknowledge that values (democracy, sustainable development) are acquired mainly by experiencing them in real life settings and by active participation. Bringing what the kids learn in the classroom into real life, contributes to their personal and social development. Our local youth work is largely focused on indoor activities. With introducing and adapting the junk (or:adventure) playground model in the Baltic states, our aim was to fill the void in the local youth work practice, to raise awareness in the society and to nudge the wider public towards supporting such initiatives.

A playful workcamp for youngsters aged 16-29 with a background of delinquency, to design and construct the first junk playground in Estonia together with Pallas art school students and kids from the NGO Lapsed Õue community. Tartu (EST) 2022. Piloting a junk playground on the territory of NGO Lapsed Õue in Tartu (EST) in 2022 and 2023: open by schedule, equipped with loose parts and tools, supported by a playworker. International junk playground training and networking course for youth workers, teachers, architects, community leaders etc (EST, LV, LT). Several indoor- and outdoor pop-up playspaces in a variety of environments (school, youth centre, public and community events, play shop). A round table for potential stakeholders of junk playgrounds, including Estonian civil servants, architects, teachers, scientists etc: “From piloting junk playgrounds to a new normality”. Tartu (EST) 2023. Mentorship and capacity building program throughout the project period to improve competency in implementing the junk playground concept and Erasmus+ projects. Volunteer workcamp in Barbele (LV) for vulnarable rural youth, 2022. Pop-up junk playground and presentation of the concept at Conversation Festival Lampa (LV) 2022.

Physical outputs: A stationary outdoor junk playground in Tartu (EST) and Barbele (LV) that funcion as a model for interested parties and as a playscape for local youth. A toolkit (set of info sheets) in 4 languages (EST, LV, LT, RU), 5 inspirational videos, presentations (EST, LT), visual conclusions (ENG). At least 20 youngsters with vulnerable backgrounds, who were empowered by active participation in the workcamps, and improved their everyday and social skills (Tartu and Barbele). 30 highly motivated youth leaders, community leaders, teachers, (landscape) architects etc gained necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to apply junk playground concept in different settings (how to design, create and maintain a playscape for autonomous play with loose parts, offering age-appropriate risk-taking and other challenges). Public visibility and increased awareness in the society (supported by numerous publications in the media). A network of motivated change-makers was formed (FB group for Adventure playgrounds of the Baltics!), which has led to involvement in new currently running cooperation projects.