From Moscow to Bhutan: what school playgrounds look like in different countries

"Playground" is the name of James Mollison's photo series. Thinking about his childhood, the British photographer noticed that most often he remembers the school playground — a place of laughter, games, noisy antics, and even the first tears, conflicts and fights. He decided to return to his school in England to see how it looks now, and at the same time look at other playgrounds nearby. The contrasts between what he saw in British schools only sparked his curiosity, and he decided to see what school playgrounds look like in different parts of our planet.

Catholic secondary school "Sacred Heart" in London.

While working on his photo project, James Mollison encountered a wary and suspicious attitude of the administration in many schools. At the same place where he received permission, the children immediately ran up and were interested in what the photographer was doing, and then returned to their fun games on the playground.

Village Council School in Ludiya, in India.

James Mollison has photographed playgrounds all over the world, from a monastery in Bhutan and in slums in Kenya to well-organized schools in Japan and Europe.

Valley View School in Nairobi, in Kenya.

The photographer wanted to show those details that concerned his personal memories of the school playground. Therefore, most of his photos were created by superimposing several frames taken during one break. The photographer does not consider this manipulation, but only a story about what has already been there for a long time.

Shikim Maoz School in Sderot, in Israel.

According to the photographer, although most of the schools he visited were very different from each other, he was struck by the similarity of the behavior of children from different parts of the world and the games they played.

Holtz School in Tel Aviv, in Israel.

Stonyhurst College Lancashire in the United Kingdom.

A primary school in the city of Naivasha, in Kenya.

Rajkumar College is located in the city of Rajkot, in the state of Gujarat, India.

Ugo Foscolo Elementary School in Venice, Italy.

St. Augustine's Roman Catholic School in Palm Loop, Montserrat.

Al Khan Al-Ahmar Primary School, Zone C, Jericho, in the West Bank.

Dechen Phodrang School playground in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Gomalandet School in Kristiansand, in Norway.

Paso Payita Playground in Chuquisaca, Bolivia.

Playground at Bhakta Vidyashram School in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Shohei Elementary School in Tokyo.

Children's playground at school No. 2013 in Moscow.

Adolfo Lopez Mateos Elementary School in Mexico City, Mexico.

The School of the Navy in Los Angeles, USA.

An elementary school in Guangzhou, China.