The Canterbury town of Rolleston has become home to the country’s first ‘smart playground’.
Playground developers have installed an ‘augmented reality’ smartphone game, bringing screen time to play time.
Aimed at children aged between three and nine, the game allows parents to scan a special marker to activate augmented reality on their phone.
Cameron Warr, from the Selwyn District Council, said it “basically allows you to have different challenges and different games while utilising the play equipment”.
“The parents push various points on the app while the children are going around the equipment.”
The device is controlled and held by the parent or caregiver so the child is spending 90 percent of the playtime in the equipment, running and being active.
The game is on a 90 day trial, and could be rolled out further if the locals like it.
The playground of the future is proving a wild success for this new, screen-loving generation.
14 Responses
Wow!!! That is a great playground and it would be really fun to go on!!!
This is amazing How does it work!!!
I saw this on three news and then went to Channel one which was also filming at the park. Very creative way to get kids to go to parks.
it is both good and bad, the bad thing is that the kids will spend more time looking at the screen even at the playground ( which is bad for their eyes). The good thing is that there’s another excuse for parents to take the children to the playground instead of staying at home (for fresh air).
really what now in these days don’t have tech,i suggest they destroy this play ground
kids don’t play with toys anymore they just go on tablets and things. pretty sad stuff
were is it in new zealand
were is i in new zealand
this is sooooooooo awesome I love phones and playgrounds at the same time:]
wow isnt that cool.
I like how NEW ZEALAND IS GETTING BETTER WITH STUFF. I THONK THIS GAME COULD BE GOOD THANKS KIWI KIDS NEWS FOR THE DETAILS
ive been here
this was really good work
that is so interesting