Art is everywhere, influencing us on a daily basis, whether we realize it or not. All kinds of art can affect our mood in a positive way, making us feel happier, calmer, or even inspired to do something. In this article we will see how an artist can make kids happy!
Easy task?
Well… yes, because kids can easily be happy when playing in a playground. And they can be even happier if this playground is full of artful playscapes!
One of the many play spaces that are both artful and fun is the textile playground of Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam.
MacAdam is best known for her work with large-scale textile structures, especially “textile playgrounds” for children, brightly colored net-like structures of crocheted and knotted nylon. She was already an accomplished artist in the Fibre Arts movement long before she began exploring the possibilities of creating textile playscapes.
It’s interesting to know that she was exhibiting a three-dimensional textile sculpture in Tokyo when she observed children climbing on her work.
One of her most well known installations is in Takino Suzuran Hillside National Park.
The colorful nylon and wood structure took 3 years and a few metric tons of rope to create. It was knit almost entirely by hand, with a just a few machine-made knots used at key structural stress points. Children are invited to climb inside and outside of the netted structure and can spend hours exploring and challenging themselves through play.

Sources:
forecastpublicart.org
www.thisiscolossal.com
www.louisapenfold.com/