How to play
You get an empty lawn by a city street. Build a playground on it: sandboxes, swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, benches for the parents, trees for shade and flowerbeds to make it pretty. When the park opens at nine in the pink morning light, children start coming through the gate, and at six, as the street lamps light up at dusk, they go home.
Every child is different. Toddlers love the sandbox and the spring riders, big kids the climbing frame and the merry-go-round. Some love playing with others, some want a little peace. The children tell you what they think in bubbles: the queue is too long, it’s hot, I’m thirsty, litter, there’s nothing here for my age. Tap a child to see their name, age and what they like.
A child who leaves happy brings points, money and fame for the park, and a good reputation brings more visitors. The equipment wears out and sometimes breaks: tap it and the caretaker comes with his toolbox to mend it. Without bins the children leave their ice-cream wrappers on the grass: tap the litter and the caretaker picks it up with his litter picker and takes the bag to a bin.
Every day of the week has its own goal. On Wednesday there’s a heatwave and shade is gold, on Thursday a daycare group comes, on Friday it rains and after the rain there are puddles to jump in. The park grows day by day, and new equipment becomes available.
Scoring
Every child who leaves happy brings 10 points, and a really happy one 15. Reaching the day’s goal gives bonus points, and every piece of litter you pick up is worth a point. The week’s points are your score.
Tips
- Start with a sandbox and a spring rider: toddlers come right from the first day.
- A bench keeps the parents happy, and their children get to play longer.
- Plant a tree where its shade will fall in the afternoon: in a heatwave the children look for shade.
- A bin within three tiles of the ice-cream stand saves you some tidying up.
