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In Episode 252, discover how a radical playground redesign during WWII transformed free play and what it teaches us about engagement, creativity, and ownership.

Shawn shares the story of Carl Sorensen, a Danish landscape architect who revolutionised playgrounds during the 1940s by turning a vacant lot into an ‘adventure playground’ filled with scrap materials and minimal supervision.

This pioneering concept offered children risk, freedom, and creativity and the idea later spread globally.

Mark and Shawn discuss how this story provides valuable lessons for the workplace. They explore themes of ownership, over-design stifling innovation, and the importance of creating environments that support voluntary engagement.

This episode is a timely reminder that real creativity and resilience emerge when people are given autonomy and trusted to take small risks.

The full story can be found in Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

For your story bank

Tags: Ownership, Engagement, Creativity, Innovation, Risk, Education, Leadership, Employee Engagement

This story starts at 1:24

Back in the 1940s, in the midst of the German occupation of Denmark, a Danish landscape architect named Carl Sorensen was growing increasingly disillusioned with his work. He’d spent years designing playgrounds filled with the usual equipment—slippery dips, jungle gyms, and merry-go-rounds—but he couldn’t help noticing that kids didn’t actually use them much. These standardised spaces, carefully thought out by committees of adults, didn’t seem to spark much joy or activity.

Sorensen began to reflect on what kids truly enjoyed. He noticed that children were naturally drawn to construction sites and junkyards—places filled with random objects, bits of scrap, and the freedom to do whatever they wanted. It was chaotic, it was risky, but the kids were endlessly engaged.

So, he decided to try something radical.

Despite the constraints of wartime, Sorensen secured an open lot in Copenhagen and filled it with scrap wood, tyres, broken tools, and even some old cars. He assigned a single adult supervisor—not to direct the kids or set rules, but simply to oversee for safety and let them be. There were no instructions, no structured activities—just an open environment where kids could build, destroy, experiment and collaborate entirely on their own terms.

The result was remarkable. The “junk playground” became the most popular play area in that part of Copenhagen. Kids came in droves, working in small groups, creating their own games and projects. And, despite initial concerns, there was no fighting—just lots of activity and exploration. The abundance of creative possibilities meant kids didn’t need to compete for space or resources.

A British visitor, Lady Allen of Hurtwood, was so inspired by what she saw that she took the idea back to the UK. Over time, this concept evolved into what we now know as adventure playgrounds—spaces focused on free play, creativity, and the acceptance of managed risk. In Melbourne and many other parts of the world, these kinds of playgrounds still exist, offering children environments that challenge them and help build confidence and resilience.