Enhancing Enhancing Children’s Play in Children’s Play in

the Outdoorsthe OutdoorsTess Michaels – Tessa Rose

Playspace and Landscape Design0416 565297

tess@tessaroselandscapes.com.auwww.tessaroselandscapes.com.au

The Natural WorldThe Natural World – – Changes in the Design of Children’s Changes in the Design of Children’s

PlayspacesPlayspaces

Sensory stimuli and contact with nature are important elements of children’s play. Children need free access to a natural world – these experiences with the natural environment are linked with the development of imagination and a sense of wonder – important motivators for lifelong learning.

The Natural WorldThe Natural World – – Changes in the Design of Children’s Changes in the Design of Children’s

PlayspacesPlayspaces There is a focus on site

specific design, looking at plant materials and their relationship to the community environment. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play and imagination. Plants speak to all of the senses

Plants in a pleasant environment with a mix of colour, texture, fragrance and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness

“Fixed equipment leaves little room for children to play creatively, since there is generally a finite number of ways to use each aspect of the equipment.” (Burger, 1984 and Walsh, 1993)

“What I like doing best is nothing”.

Christopher Robin (A.A Milne, 1928)

Using the Outdoor Space Effectively for Children’s Play -

Suggestions

The addition of loose parts and props to children’s outdoor play is important to provide variety. Model the use of these items for children to extend pretend play

Observe and discuss the movement, colour and sound of plant materials

Placing babies in different positions within the playspace stimulates their sensory experiences, eg, under a tree, in the sandpit or amongst native grasses

Provide rugs and blankets of different textures for young children’s tactile experiences

Look at the leaves, flowers and bark of plants together – build on conversations for language development

There is a tendency for adults to create activities from the adult perspective rather than finding ways to provide “children’s” based experiences – where does the children’s play take them? How can we be a part of it? What do the children need to take their interests further?

“Outdoor play environments can be as effective as indoor play in stimulating children’s development..” (Henniger, 1993)

“With children’s access to the outdoors and the natural world becoming increasingly limited or non-existant, child care, kindergartens and schools where children spend 40-50 hours per week may be our last opportunity to reconnect children with the natural world and create a future generation that values and preserves nature.” (Malone and Tranter 2003)

Adults who model the enjoyment of, comfort with and respect of nature, assist children with this process.

Research Points In their study of 41 playgrounds in North Carolina, Hestenes,

Shim and DeBord (2007) found that on playgrounds with more natural elements, children displayed less functional or repetitive behaviour and more constructive (building, hypothesizing) play

Davies (1996), in her interview with 22 teachers in a preschool in Australia found that in terms of diversity in the outdoor environment, less than half the teachers thought about natural elements as part of the outdoor curriculum and those who did seem to believe that it would improve the playgrounds attractiveness rather than further the educational needs of children

Teachers also perceived that their role was to set up the stage for play and direct children only when they engaged in inappropriate behaviours (Davies 1997)

However, a teachers role is paramount in children’s experiences outdoors! Positive interactions enhance not only every level of children’s development but also build successful relationships between teachers and children, families and their colleagues.

Further Ideas to ExploreFurther Ideas to ExploreSANDPITSSANDPITS Explore sand temperatures on hot days – sand hot on top, cool

underneath, add water and wet sand gets very cold Use wet sand to make shapes and/or a structure and see what

happens when it dries (the structure collapses) Try and build a bridge with sand – discuss with children “why”

this won’t work Make rivulet patterns in sand with water, photograph, discuss

and extend into art work and centre documentationDIGGING PATCHESDIGGING PATCHES Plant bulbs and/or seeds in patterns - what happens when they

grow? Collect a wide range of natural materials sticks, leaves, rocks,

shells and develop into cities, roads, with gardens! Follow through with children’s ideas in this area and document experiences

Archeological digs – similar to dinosaur bones – things for children to find – fossils, gems, etc

Further Ideas to ExploreFurther Ideas to Explore SWING AREAS OR PLAYSPACE EQUIPMENT Hang chimes or reflective mobiles on or near swing sets or

playspace equipment for differing moods and reflections of items

Plant scented plants in pots around swing sets or playspace equipment – again varies mood and experience

Consider using different textures as the ropes of the swing, areas children climb on, surfaces they sit on, eg, wrap silk, furry materials, etc, around rope to enhance experience – something similar may also be achieved with the swing seat or slides

OPEN SPACES Young children - rugs to watch clouds with adults, discuss

shapes, find them elsewhere in the playspace and extend to art work and other centre experiences

Build a low mound with cushions for children to climb and roll on, etc – great for children starting to crawl

Large cardboard boxes – construct a city with houses, climbing area, obstacle course, etc

Consider……..

Nesting boxes for bird life

Weather stations Art opportunities such

as murals, sculpture and installations using natural materials that can be temporary and changed based on children’s outdoor interests

Watch a plant – observe changes, document these through the seasons, explore what is happening

Small Group WorkWhat learning and opportunities for natural play can you see in this playspace?

What may be added to enhance children’s play experiences?

In what ways could positive interactions with adults be included?

Plants in Children’s Playspaces – Ideas and

Strategies Movement – to move children from different areas

in their environment safely Comfort – provide spaces for children to relax

and/or seek refuge Competence – give children opportunities for

success in negotiating the environment and making changes to it

Control – allowing children to experiment and make decisions

Using plants as changes of scale, eg mini plants and large stalked plants – can give children a feeling of control and power

Child sized plants enhance feelings of importance Tall plants to frame landmarks in the distance –

creates a sense of vastness in the landscape

Tall grasses – concepts of space, height, size, etc

Drama and make believe with plants – fairy gardens, secret spaces, fantasy

Plants evoke a feeling of “REALNESS” in the environment, creating ambience and atmosphere.

Practical Ideas and Practical Ideas and StrategiesStrategies

Meandering paths through scented and/or sensory plant materials

Circles of vegetation rather than straight lines

Greenery evokes a feeling of open space

Include tunnels and rolling hills and mounds of vegetation

Construct archways or arbours of tunnels using climbers and twining plants or dense shrubs – consider native climbers such as Hardenbergia spp or Clematis aristata

There are a range of native grasses that can be used to create mounds and areas for children to roll, etc, such as Themeda “Mingo”, Poa Eskdale and Kingsdale and Lomandra mondra

Practical Ideas and Practical Ideas and StrategiesStrategies

Not everything in a playspace needs to be functional, eg flower gardensa, vines, trees with branches hanging down, digging patches and special plants such as the Neoregelia “Gee Whizz”

Children come to understand that the flowers they enjoy are a result of care and diligence.

Plants can identify play areas through ecological themes with vegetation, eg water play in bog environments

Vertical plant walls add new dimensions to children’s play. Consider planting herbs or small bromeliads like this outdoors or even indoors

Use plant materials to define pathways for movement and consider unusually shaped garden beds with more curves

Use plants to create shapes in paths

Tepees with vines or bamboo are open for supervision but still give the effect of privacy to children

Although Narcissus spp –Daffodils, are considered poisonous in NSW child care services the same effect can be achieved with native plants and grasses or alternative bulbs

Consider using plant materials for seating. The adjacent seats are made with terracotta pots with bricks in the pots to avoid tipping over and then planted with turf varieties. Native grasses and/or herbs would also work and this provides a low cost seating option for children

Create carnivorous and bog plant gardens (pictured left) and wildlife ponds with aquatic plants (pictured right) used with adult supervision

Practical Ideas and Practical Ideas and StrategiesStrategies

Examples of plant textures and sensory plants below. Try using potted varieties first and moving them throughout the playspace to see where they grow best and where play is enhanced the most by their presence. Plants may then be planted out.

Adenanthos sericea, Banksia “Birthday Candles” and Crassula orbiculata at leftCarex “Frosty Curls”, Lavandula “Regal Splendour”, Eriostemon “Flower Girl” and Pennisetum advena “Rubrum” at right

Choose plants for their fragrance, the sounds they make, sensory appeal and colour

Different sized foliage plants develop children’s early mathematical and spatial awareness skills

A natural environment with plants encourages language and collaboration between children. There is always something to talk about and some problem to solve

Practical Ideas and Practical Ideas and StrategiesStrategies

Consider: Plants that attract butterflies to the garden Plants that look old and prehistoric – play

with dinosaurs Indigenous plants – those from the local

community region – focuses on learning about the environment

Mazes with vegetation – using controlled bamboo or native grasses

Seasonal plants – observing changes Succulent gardens – explore sizes, shape,

colour, growth, change and texture

Grasses for simple and low maintenance mazes throughout the playground

Prehistoric plants like Kalanchoe beharense are also useful as texture/sensory plantsSucculents provide many

learning opportunities with children – the Aeonium aSchwartzkopf is purple/maroon in the sun and goes bright green in the shade

Labyrinths and Labyrinths and MazesMazes

Labyrinths provide a powerful means of introducing restful movement into children’s playspaces. They have one path which leads to the centre and back out again and have been used for centuries as a form of meditation. Walking a labyrinth is a right brain activity enhancing peacefulness.

Labyrinths can be comprised of many different types of plant materials and also in various forms, sizes and shapes. Native grasses have been increasingly successful as low level labyrinths.

Labyrinths and Labyrinths and MazesMazesMazes differ to labyrinths in

that they are more of a puzzle and provide children with choices about which direction to take, etc. There is a wide variety of materials that can be utilised to certain heights that either provide gaps in the maze or are low enough to provide complete visual access. Plant mazes don’t all require high maintenance and pruning – there are many options for low maintenance mazes. Although the maze shown here is large scale, adaptations can always be made to suit site conditions.

Both labyrinths and mazes are excellent alternatives to turf areas which have not been successful due to drought and compaction from overuse, especially when the appropriate plant materials are used in their design and development.

Edible GardensEdible Gardens“The cycles of life, watching a seed sprout, grow, flower, produce seed and return to the soil to nourish the next crop of flowers is a metaphor children can grasp and relate to their own lives.”Barbara Richardson (Rupp, 2005)Edible gardens can play an important role in the plant selection for children’s gardens. Edible and/or bush tucker foods may be planted alongside other plants. Edible gardens don’t necessarily need to be kept separate from other areas in the playspace. They can be integrated with other plants – the focus being on using the whole playspace and creating an awareness of all plant materials during growth and harvesting.

Children with additional needs require universally accessible playspaces and want to be included in all experiences with plant materials. Elements such as raised sand pits, digging patches and planter boxes allow for accessibility at all times

“Children want play environments where they have the power to imprint themselves upon the landscape, endow the landscape with significance and experience their own activities as capable of transforming the environment.” (White, 1997)

Plants don’t have to be high maintenance and a nuisance. If selected carefully to meet the soil and site conditions they will adapt and require only some maintenance. Look at your centres dry and wet zones – plants can be chosen with these exact requirements in mind

Plants and natural environments produce both psychological and physical responses.

They may

Assist in reducing stress in children

Improve children’s feelings of wellbeing

Increase independence and autonomy

Create an awareness of reasoning and observation skills

Increase positive feelings about the self and others especially in children with behavioural challenges

Children touch, smell, look and freely explore one planting to another – it’s all about self-discovery and then showing others what they see and making the connection about how important plants are to them.

Useful Plant MaterialsUseful Plant Materials