Methods that support children’s participation in the design of digital technologies are central to Child-Computer Interaction (CCI), yet most accounts are situated in adult-led institutional contexts. Far fewer methods address participation within informal free time settings, where play is self-directed, relational, and sensitive to adult intervention. This paper presents PlayScape, a participatory design method developed to support child-led participation in nature-play contexts during children’s free time. Derived from action research with 15 children (7-11 years) in neighbourhood nature-play settings, PlayScape integrates theory from Environmental Psychology with approaches from Participatory Design and Design Anthropology detailing how relational activities, the least-adult role, and place-based co-learning and imagining can be applied to preserve children’s agency and play rhythm through design. PlayScape contributes to CCI by offering methodological guidance for participatory work in informal play settings, demonstrating how emplaced, child-led participation can enable children to envision digital possibilities grounded in their everyday play practices.
Cumbo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.