The cheap and sturdy red, white, and blue tarp (translated as ‘snakeskin’ material in Mandarin) that can be seen all across China doesn’t only contain cost-conscious consumers’ belongings or keep rubble and dust inside of construction sites; it also turns a public square into a space more conducive to play.

Note supervision standards – are children more or less closely watched while at play in your context? Would this be considered “too dirty” or an otherwise inappropriate play activity where you are?

Bonus: sitting patterns/practices.