Accidental Playspace between the Benches

When kids run and play, they like to experience different types of spaces. One particular place where I see kids playing year after year forms a type of space I rarely see in playground design. There is a gap between the backs of the benches facing in different direction, which looks at first like wasted, dead space. The kids really enjoy running through the series of long, narrow channels formed by these benches.


There appears to have been no intent in the design of the benches to create a children's play space, yet it consistently draws in the kids, either individually or playing together. Given a change in elevation in this park, running along the ledge between the benches add an element of balance, while the bench backs provide a margin of safety.