Encouraging outdoor play in Uberaba

In low-income suburban neighbourhoods of Uberaba, there are public squares every 400 metres – but children and their families have got out of the habit of using them. Fearful of getting dirty, bruised or bitten by insects, families increasingly prefer that their children play at home.

Inspired by the poet Manoel de Barros’s line Meu quintal / É maior do que o mundo (“my backyard is bigger than the word”), the project will revitalise three squares through activities aimed at overcoming fears related to outdoor play, such as tree climbing, mud pools, planting edible gardens and holding food fairs with the produce, and exploring biodiversity with magnifying glasses.