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Space for dreaming in the play chest
Birthe Mallach-Mlynczak, Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
Of role play, meeting places, changes in perspective, blue tricycles and other adventures
ook, look!" Fritz quickly ducks down again. He can be heard
"Llaughing. Shortly afterwards he calls again, "Look, look!" He is
in his den, his house. Hidden from the gaze of grown-ups. He has
clambered into his "den" without any help. He has climbed quite
slowly up 40 cm over the little climbing net to reach the entrance. Now
his face can be seen; he looks quite red. He is astonished and laughs.
He looks out from the round, red window at a coloured world. Fritz returns
to the entrance to his "den" and looks out over the space in front
of him. His body is tensed, he holds on firmly at one side and he feels
big. When you are scarcely 90 cm in height, climbing up 40 cm
changes your perspective enormously. Carefully he turns around and
clambers out of his den.
Charlotte comes running up to him. She has learned to run really
fast in the last few months. Behind her comes Lena: “Let’s go into the
house. You can be my child. And I will make a meal for us. OK?" Twoyear
old Charlotte looks up in awe at four-year old Lena. Lena helps
her up the two steps to the house. Then she clambers up nimbly behind
her. Charlotte lies flat on the 30 cm high stools and gradually
pulls herself upright. Success! She sits down. In the meantime Lena
has “cooked a meal” in various moulds. The red light, which shines in
through the window gives the impression of a fireplace on the floor.
The cooking ingredients, sand and leaves, lie ready to be “cooked”.
Christiane, their nursery teacher looks in from outside. "Hallo, you
two, don't you want to come and watch? Star Group has prepared a
play." Of course they want to watch it. The nursery teachers have stretched
a cord between "their" house and the next house. Two blankets
are hung up to make a curtain. A blackboard hangs on the neighbouring
house. A pirate and a princess can be seen. Christiane steps forward:
"Welcome to the story of the Pirate and his Princess."
The play is really exciting. When it is over, everyone is hungry and
thirsty. The nursery teachers have set out apples and tea in the "blackboard
house". The children scramble in one after another. They find a
space to sit down, enjoy the juicy apples and talk about the play they
have just seen. Stefan, one of the nursery teachers, sits with them and
enjoys their excitement on meeting in the play chest. Three play chests
stand in the grounds. They are wooden chests on steel posts, which
have been left open on the narrow sides. Their inner and outer appearance
varies from chest to chest. Sometimes there are colourful
panels, inspiring the imagination and games,
sometimes the board offers space for
creative play. Different types of seating
turn the interior of the chest into a
meeting point for a larger group or
inspire traditional role play. The
posts allow the chests to
"sway" at different heights
above the ground, leading to
an infinite variety of possibilities
for climbing up and
down. The metal loops fastened
to the posts offer
anchorage points for further
play. They can, however, simply
serve to hold up a clothes
line and this of course can also
become an open air gallery.
Change of perspective
Children under 4 years of age do not need huge
heights and large, complicated equipment. What is required
are rather small changes in perspective, stimulation of the senses,
which present the recently-discovered world in a different light. Moreover,
spaces into which to retreat, which can be reached on your own
or by using your own strength and which stimulate role play are required.
“Watch out! It's about to go in.” Fritz and his friend lift the tricycle
into their “garage”. The blue light from the window pane falls on
the wheel. It now looks as if it has just been washed! The pair look out
of the play chest, beaming with joy.
Photos: Kinderland Emsland play equipment
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