In today's society, it is essential to activate our bodies when we take a rest from our study or work time. It has positive effects on our health. In this work, we focus on playgrounds for people under the age of 16, because playgrounds have to be comfortable areas that enable children and young people with sufficient resources to promote their activity. Recreational areas or playgrounds have many different influences on human life and the environment. However, they always have room for change and improvement.

The aim of this work is to clarify the debates and trends surrounding public playgrounds for children and, on the other hand, to make a concrete proposal for improving some playgrounds.

First, a study has been conducted on the contemporary alternatives existing in this field, explaining the dynamics of playground activities in different parts of the world and comparing specific data from these. Secondly, some playgrounds in Spain have been analysed as case studies and improvement solutions have been proposed to address the problems or the need for renovations.

This work is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in the transition to making the environment more sustainable in terms of energy, natural structures, health, equality, and justice; as it seeks to highlight the need for renovation in public spaces in towns and present solutions, advocating for other types of structures that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Keywords: Playgrounds, civil engineering, architecture, sustainability.