Live to play, play to live

A Finnish family was inspired by the forests of Lapland to develop a play concept, whereby you can play and learn at the same time.

Young teenagers have a tendency to play video games instead of enjoying physical activity. As a result, many are overweight and in poor physical shape generally. The Finnish company Lappset Group Oy has addressed the problem as a manufacturer of durable equipment, which makes play both fun and educational.

The company’s goal is to help people of all ages to live a more healthy and happy life through play.

The story of Lappset Group Oy began in 1970 in Finnish Lapland, where the forests are natural playgrounds. Here the founder of Lappset Group Oy, Antero Ikäheimo, set about developing his idea for a warmer, more inviting playing environment. He wanted children to have wooden playground equipment – not just the metal roundabouts and metal climbing frames which were modern back then.

Play for three generations
The people behind the company wish to manufacture playground equipment that forms a meeting place for three generations: children, their parents and their grandparents.

One of Lappset Group Oy's popular solutions is called SmartUs. The solution encourages physical activity and supports learning in a way which appeals to the children of today. The age group for SmartUs is four to fifteen-year-olds. With outdoor video game facilities and playground, SmartUs is a kind of 'real life video game'. The philosophy of learning through play is an extremely important part of the product, which is designed in such a way that learning is an almost coincidental part of the game.

One of the first SmartUs playgrounds was built in Ørstedsparken in Copenhagen. Lappset Group Oy is currently involved in two extensive research and development projects.

The international InnoPlay project, in which SmartUs plays a leading role, aims at developing new educational models for teaching in kindergartens and elementary schools, as well as play-based, after-school learning environments. The second project, Dynamic Garden, aims at creating a healthy, accessible outdoor environment with innovative design and technology, where people of all ages and abilities can play and exercise.