Download - Playground@Landscape

ACTIVITY
spend in physical activities. Toddlers require physical play in
order to develop fundamental capabilities for their later learning.
They learn and develop their abilities in play.
Toddlers’ physical proportions: Whenever politicians and parents
work on a more efficient nursery concept, it is often forgotten how
small toddlers are.
In considering toddler development, adults ought to take absolutely
literally the phrase, “from the child's perspective”.
Getting down on our knees, in order to see the world from their
eye-level, is a good start if we are to understand dimensions and
proportions from the toddler's point of view. A two-year old child
is on average 90 cm in height. The proportions of the toddler's
body are different from those of an adult’s body; toddlers have a
larger head and shorter arms and legs in proportion to the body.
This makes balance difficult. Play areas for toddlers should
generally take into account the ergonomics and development of
toddlers.
The sense of balance: The sense of balance should be exercised by
toddlers, since their physical proportions make it correspondingly
more difficult to keep their balance. The sense of balance is trained
by physical activity, e.g. by gentle rocking, swinging or turning.
Lying on the stomach and rocking backwards and forwards is an
attractive activity, for toddlers have not yet developed the ability
to rock properly and on their own. The rhythm of this movement
encourages the basis for language. It has often been observed how
children sing in tune whenever they are rocking forward and back.
Sense of space: Toddlers' spatial awareness has not yet fully developed.
All the words which describe space must be assimilated.
Whenever toddlers fail to experience what it means to be above or
below, to clamber over or under something, to sit higher or lower,
they miss out on basic understanding of dimensions and space,
and therefore later they also miss out on Mathematics. Spatial
awareness has to be appropriately trained and challenged.
Visual and tactile awareness: Because of the delayed reaction time
of the nerves in toddlers, they need longer to grasp their physical
surroundings. Mastering steps, stairs etc. often takes up their entire
concentration. A toddler's sense of touch is not at the level of that
of a normal adult. Hand-eye coordination, seeing something and
wanting to grasp it in the hand and the sense of touch have to be
stimulated, supported and trained.
Germination of friendships: Scientific studies have shown that
toddlers cultivate social interaction, although they still have a very
limited repertoire of language. They invent repetition games and
play these in groups, imitating the behaviour and noises of the others.
Spring riders, small rockers or – to make eye-contact possible –
tummy swings arranged in pairs and more generally playing in
groups of two or three are beneficial, as is themed role play, which
also facilitates physical activity.
Innate play instinct: Fortunately toddlers need little encouragement
to grasp the idea of play situations, which stimulate and
train the physical challenges described above. In order to guarantee
that activities for toddlers remain linked to pleasure, adults
should not exert pressure on children to improve their skills, but
should be happy to encourage and support them.
Toddlers' play equipment for child development: The provision of
suitable opportunities for play is an important contribution to
countering the changes in everyday routine and reacting to the
needs of toddlers. For instance, toddler-sized playground
equipment is to be recommended for the development of language,
creativity and motor skills. Such equipment should be calibrated
to the needs of toddlers and their carers in day centres, in order to
take account both of the stages in child development and of the
educational objectives of the respective federal state.
Appropriate play equipment is ideal for play, fun and learning in
the fresh air – both for toddlers and for adults.
Photos: Kompan
SPIELIDEEN DIE ÜBERZEUGEN
OBRA-Design, Ing. Philipp GmbH & Co.KG
Satteltal 2, A-4872 Neukirchen/Vöckla
Tel.: +43 (0)7682/2162-0
E-Mail: obra@obra.at, www.obra.at
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