Sunday, August 19, 2012

New Video on Old Playgrounds Uploaded

Clock Playground @ Bishan Street 13

OK here it is. The second part video is uploaded. It's almost one month now since I started to embark on this playground project. Well maybe more than a month. Anyway it's fun traveling around to different locations finding some of the rare old school playgrounds. More after the jump.


We're living in an ever-changing society at a remarkable fast pace. Old playgrounds are giving ways to new ones. In addition of the latest digital electronic technology, more kids are playing computer games more often than getting outside to play old games like hop-scotch, police-catch-thief, hide-and-seek, catching spiders and running and climbing high and low at a playground, physcially. Even though sands at these old playgrounds are replaced with rubber matted floor for safety and hygiene reasons, it doesn't help to attract more children. In fact, it's getting lesser and lesser, even those newly designed playgrounds, situated at varies housing estates island wide, are neglected, too.

My main goal of this project is simply to use photography and a little on videography, as a medium, in capturing the old playgrounds for memento. At the time of writing this blog, four playgrounds had been demolished and one is still pending. Well I'm considered lucky to capture them photographically before all of them are really gone forever.

As these playgrounds are built for children of age 6 - 12 years, all images are taken at average height of a child approximately at 1.2 meters. This is so to signify children's visions while playing at these playgrounds and also serves as a memento for grown-ups who, like me, used to play at these playgrounds.


Here's a list of the demolished playgrounds:
1. Animals Playground @ Dover Road*
2. Sparrow Playground @ Clementi Ave 3*
3. Clock Playground @ Boon Lay Drive*
4. Water Melons Playground @ Pipit Road

*Featured in Part Two video above.

Pending for further notice:
- Small merry-go-round @ Upper Seletar Reservoir
- Vintage animals @ Toa Payoh Lorong 6

Here's a sneak on the merry-go-round and vintage animals.

Vintage animals playground
Image courtesy of Mr. Andy Lee, SengKangBabies.com

Currently the whole playground area of these vintage animals and new PVC playground (seen on the background), is under renovation, which I suspect the Town Council is having the floor change to rubber mat or otherwise a new landscape design layout. I reckon it will take a few more months to complete. Will find out more soon and keep you readers updated.

Personally I find these vintage animals designs unique and they are totally ideal subjects for my night photography. I really hope they will be still around after the renovation work is done. Meantime I will be visiting all the other old playgrounds again; one by one for my night photography project.

Part Three video is coming your way so stay tuned. I hope you enjoyed the first 2 short videos which you can view them on the side bar on the right side of this blog site. Thank you for watching and reading my blog.