Playgrounds never get old. Perhaps that’s why we still get nostalgic about ones like the iconic dragon playground in Toa Payoh. So in an effort to bring back memories of those good old days, the National Museum of Singapore is hosting its first exhibition on Singapore’s playgrounds, with a brief glance through 100 years of their evolution on our shores.
And when we say brief, we mean it — think of the free exhibition as a condensed version compressing decades of history, complete with a quick glance at the future of these structures of fun. Sure, it could’ve used more interactive installations — we would’ve loved to linger a little longer — but all the same, it’s enthralling to look back at the first few playgrounds in the country, and how they’ve evolved to become what they are today.
Titled The More We Get Together: Singapore’s Playgrounds 1930-2030 (sure brings back memories of that popular children’s song), the exhibit starts off in the early 20th century, where community-initiated playgrounds began popping up at areas like People’s Park and Katong Park. In fact, 1928 saw the first public children’s playground built at Dhoby Ghaut, including a swing and a slide, privately funded by Chinese businessmen.
Then in the ’50s and ’60s, slides, swings, merry-go-rounds, and see-saws were The In Thing, until the ’70s and ’80s came around, with the familiar sight of neighborhood playgrounds designed and built by HDB from 1974 to 1993.
Besides video interviews with the pioneer team of playground designers (which honestly sounds like it could be the best job ever), visitors also get to see 12 original blueprints of classic mosaic playgrounds by HDB’s first playground designer, Khor Ean Ghee.
When the ’90s and ’00s came around, so did a new industry of playground companies that began building structures that were friendlier to the entire family. And the final section of the space takes visitors into the future, with touch screens that allow you to create your dream future playground (you can even build yours in the clouds), thanks to the talents of students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, as well as local programmers and illustrators.
Feel free to go all out too, because your designs will guide the conceptualization of the museum’s first permanent playground to be constructed in 2019 — and it’d be pretty cool to see your creativity turned into reality.
Other activities for the young at heart to attempt include penning down your playground memories at the mosaic wall; clamoring up a 2.5m-tall rope play structure inspired by the rope pyramid in West Coast Park; frolicking about the reinterpretation of familiar playground pieces like the swing, monkey bar, and see-saw; and spinning French artist Matali Crasset’s mesmerizing, interactive work of art called The Dynamic Lines of Our Nest at the museum’s Main Rotunda.
Oh, and should you feel inspired by the exhibition to deck out your abode with quirky, colorful knick-knacks in the shapes or styles of iconic playgrounds, check out these designs at the museum store by the likes of Hinika, LOVE SG, Now&Then, Supermama, The Farm Store, The Little Drom Store, and more.
The More We Get Together: Singapore’s Playgrounds 1930-2030 is on from now till Sept 30; daily 10am-7pm at Stamford Gallery, National Museum of Singapore. Free.
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