Crocheting is considered a pretty tame and relaxing hobby, right? Well, Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam seems to be doing a good job of changing my mind about that. She doesn’t just crochet sweaters for the grandkids, oh no. She crochets ENTIRE PLAYGROUNDS! Take a look!
A Colorful, Knitted Wonderland
With the help of engineers and architects to help things run smoothly, Toshiko crochets swings, nets, and other playground attractions for kids to play with. According to her, it’s important that people are able to interact with her art – it’s not just for show. In fact, watching her works come to life as children explore them is the best part in her opinion!
Why She Does It
So, why knit a giant playground? There’s actually a story behind it, as you can imagine. You see, Toshiko has been a textile artist for quite some time, but her works were once exhibited as display-only works in museums. One day, a group of children climbed into the exhibit, and Toshiko watched her art come to life. It was then that she realized her need to create an interactive exhibit, especially one for kids.
Building A Better Playground
Soon after her realization, Toshiko and a few colleagues started looking at children’s play areas in Tokyo in regards to design. Sadly, in a huge city like Tokyo, a lot of playgrounds aren’t that well-developed. This is a big problem, as children need stimulating environments to learn, socialize, and explore in. Thus, Toshiko’s first crochet-playground project was born in 1971 and donated to a kindergarten. I’m willing to bet that the kids appreciated her hard work and kindness.
What Are Your Thoughts?
I think that this is a brilliant idea. Playing is one of the main ways that children learn, and this would be an amazing opportunity for them to do both. Personally, if I were a kid, I would absolutely love to climb in one of these things. What do you think?
Featured image via We The Urban
Sources: Arch Daily, We The Urban
