This article describes the construction of a tire playground on an empty, fenced-in blacktop that had served as the schoolyard for a small primary school. It discusses the parents' and designer's goals for the tire playground, describes the way the playground design supported and reflected these goals, and documents the eventual impact on children's behavior. Construction of the playground led to significant decreases in organized games, uninvolved behavior, and roughhousing, and significant increases in active play and pretend play. Age and sex differences in play behavior are also described.
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