**5. Conclusion**

Successful playgrounds provide space for children's socialization, imaginative play and physical activity, provide social opportunities not only for children but also improve social cohesion between families and community members [27]. It is agreed that effective playgrounds include natural elements, encourage interaction, are highly accessible for variety of user groups, include spaces for active play, provide risk and challenge, and are safe and free of hazards [27].

These key components are considered crucial for the successful playgrounds: the design should be "tailor-made" to the playground to suit the environment in which it will be placed, the playground should be placed as to be readily accessible to all, and close to the users, it should use the natural elements, the nature of the country and surrounding plants, the playground should provide a wide range of experiences, including the selection of a variety of surfaces, textures, plants and a combination of free and organized areas. The playground should be accessible to disabled users, to be able to play together with others and should provide for the possibility of choosing from a variety of equipment. The playground should offer different game options, should allow the children of different ages to play together, and it should allow to test the children's skills. The playground should accommodate the needs of the community; therefore, the community should be involved in its design, which should be the result of general consensus. The playground should be properly maintained and it should allow changes according to the needs arising over time.

Access to playgrounds is an important urban amenity, enhancing the quality of housing and living environment.

In the Slovak mass housing estates of the second half of the twentieth century, unique concepts of children's playgrounds have been applied, designed by architects and artist, and inspired by the best European experiences, for example by the landscape design of the Stockholm school, or by the playgrounds of Aldo van Eyck. Design of public open spaces and public playgrounds in the Slovak mass housing estates represented the architectural qualities of the modernism of the second half of the twentieth century, but their main problem was the lack of maintenance, resulting from the lack of resources.

Today, the trend to use the mass-produced play equipment in playgrounds does not respect the site specifics, reduces the potential of playgrounds to stimulate children's imagination, the trend to fence and gate the play areas, and shift them to specific zones and indoor, and reduces the access of children to play.
