big blocks!

December 1, 2011/

When I read about the Imagination Playground that opened in the South Street Seaport last year, I knew I wanted to take Noah there.

Set amongst the tall ships, landmark buildings and tacky tourist offerings of the seaport is a truly innovative park. Yes, it contains all the traditional elements of a good playground:

sand

ramps

“listening forest”

and water features (which were turned off at this point in the year).

But what really sets the playground apart is a collection of large, movable foam pieces, designed to encourage climbing, imaginative free play and team work.

Noah got right to work.

I loved watching him find endless ways to build and play with the pieces and he was completely enthralled with the “big blocks!”.

We walked around the seaport after lunch and although I could not get over how much of an outdoor “mall” it had become, I still had a soft spot for the cobblestones, beautiful old buildings and Richard Haas trompe l’oeil mural of the Brooklyn Bridge I remembered marvelling at as a young architecture student in the 80’s.