sik_kita2015_en

Topography & plants ‹ SIK-Holz® 09
Topography
& plants
Stage moving stimulation and choose aware plants
Gardens are a gift
from God to man.
They are a tonic
that open our
sensitivity to life,
to its pleasures
and dangers,
and that grant
us more patience
bischöfin m. jepsen
The terrain modeling is particularly important at the
design stage. The appeal of any outdoor facility is due in
a large measure to its diversity. Topographical variations
in elevation entice the child with an exciting experience
of movement. This is beneficial to coordination and development
of sense of balance. Hills and hollows do not
just make a visual impression; they create new spaces.
These spaces can be consciously deployed to separate play
areas ‒ for example into activity areas and calm areas.
They can also be used as crossings ‒ for example in the
form of a bridge ‒ to connect and extend a play area.
The choice of plants and shrubs can also be used to create
distinctive zones. Dense thickets can divide different
spaces. They offer places of sanctuary or hideouts and
open up a new world of experience to children. Suitable
trees and shrubs include hazelnut, elder, rowan, lilac, and
dwarf willows. These can also be used to form a wicker
tunnel, wicker fencing or a house of wattles or the branches
can be used in play simply as a stick or bow. Bookstores
and the internet contain a wealth of information on
wickerwork skills and construction methods.
When choosing the species of plant, be aware that the
annual growth cycle of the plant should be visible to
children. The blossoms in spring and fruits in summer
and autumn can be used for educational purposes. Direct
contact with plant life will stimulate the senses which
are fast developing at kindergarten age. For instance the
sense of smell can be developed by growing aromatic
herbs, which can also be harvested for use in the kitchen.
Flowers stimulate both with their colours and scents.
Fruit bushes and fruit trees encourage a discriminatory
sense of taste. The sense of taste in the modern age is
often unbalanced by the synthetic flavourings so often
used in processed food. Poisonous plants such as yew,
daphne and laburnum have no place in a kindergarten.
Many more positive benefits for the surface broaching
arrangement trough landscaped and cultivated instruments
could be added here. The awareness of the
environment in general is raised. When children feel
themselves as part of nature, they will all the more support
its protection.