Design and testing of a novel interactive playground device

The concept of an interactive playground was born out of the specific need to tackle increasing levels of childhood obesity in the UK. A worryingly high proportion of children are inactive, preferring to spend their leisure time playing sedentary computer games or other electronic gaming devices. To engage this specific user group, an interactive, whole-body outdoor play device was devised. The device is intended to promote ‘stealth fitness’ with an aim to improve user's reaction time, coordination, agility, and cardiovascular fitness. This paper describes the design and experimentation phases undertaken to develop the device from an initial concept to a final product. Fifteen healthy children completed an experimental study consisting of three 5-min sessions. Heart rate was continuously monitored and ratings of enjoyment, competence, and perceived exertion were recorded after each session. The results indicate that using the new device elicits a large cardiovascular response while providing high levels of enjoyment.