LIVING

The ludoteca (play space) in the Ciutadella park is one such haven. It is free of charge and open seven days a week. There are dozens of ride-on toys, huge balls of all sizes and plenty of toys for symbolic play where children interact with adults, nannies and grandparents. In drought-free summers they turn on the water fountains, making baths in the muddy sand.

A ludoteca is a play space with a heavy emphasis on educational play. “But this ludoteca is a bit different to others,” Beatriz Hernández, a playworker there, told Metropolitan. “Firstly, because it’s all outdoors. The children come and go freely and play wherever they want. Secondly because parents come with the child. We could distinguish this special ludoteca by calling it an outdoor ludoteca or an espacio familiar (family space).”

It is the only outdoor ludoteca left in the city, according to Fátima Roel, another playworker there. “There used to be three of them, all managed by [the Ajuntament’s] Parcs i Jardins—one in Villamella, one in Cervantes and here. The Villamella one was taken over by the district of Sarrià for refurbishing. Now it has changed, it’s an indoor ludoteca, it’s not like before with the outdoor toys and everything. The Cervantes one was closed last December because it was not in good condition and there wasn’t enough public interest to renovate it.”

Both playworkers said they knew of no plans to open more outdoor ludoteques. “To us it feels like things are closing down one by one rather than opening,” said Hernández. “Play is very important for children, it is fundamental that they have places like this because in the city there are so few spaces to play freely, where they don’t have to be holding someone’s hand all the time. Outdoor play gives them a chance to develop their independence, to have contact with nature, the changing seasons, the air, the sand, the birds, the leaves.”

The importance of outdoor play is something not lost on Jordi Sabaté Puig, head of Barcelona Diseño Urbano (BDU), a company that specialises in designing and fitting children’s adventure playgrounds. He is like a big kid, animated and enthusiastic about his work. “Playing outside stimulates your senses, the rain, the air. The light is also really important. When I started the company, I tried to imagine I was a six-year-old and think what would I like to play with.”