DESIGNING A PLAYGROUND FOR AN OPTIMUM LEARNING

 Berta Esti Ari Prasetya

Fakultas Psikologi

Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana

ABSTRACT

Artikel ini membahas mengenai hal-hal yang perlu diperhatikan untuk mengembangkan desain tempat bermain di luar gedung bagi anak-anak demi tercapainya hasil belajar yang maksimal. Elemen penting yang perlu dipertimbangkan dalam mendesain tempat bermain adalah keamanan, kesesuaian desain dengan usia anak, pengembangan kreativitas dan pengembangan pemecahan masalah. Dalam artikel ini juga dimunculkan ide-ide mengenai pengaturan tempat bermain tersebut agar menarik bagi anak.

Keyword: desain tempat bermain.

INRODUCTION

Play is one important way for children to learn their environment. Learning occurs as the result of step-by-step achievements, based on individual abilities, natural potential and experiences. There are certain sensitive periods at which optimum learning of a particular kind will occur for a particular child if the opportunities to do so are present. In a creative play environment, the opportunities for many kinds of appropriate learning are present at all times (Cherry, 1976).

One of the goals of setting up a good playground for children is also in order to provide that best opportunities for them at all times to learn. Not only that, theorist concurs that play occupies an important role in children’s development. Psychoanalysts believe that play can help children in mastering emotional traumas or disturbance; psycho-socialists believe it is important for ego mastery and help the children learn how to live with everyday experiences; constructivists believe that cognitive growth can be boosted by play; while maturationists believe that in all culture of the world play is necessary for competence building and for socializing functions (Isenberg & Quisenberry, 1988). Then the effort to provide the best way for children to play will bring hopes that children will really benefit all the best from their play.

Frost & Wortham (cited in Henniger, 1993/1994) asserted that playgrounds and outdoor play experiences have been viewed primarily as an opportunity to develop physical skills through vigorous exercise and play. Outdoor play can stimulate: 1) physical-motor development 2) social interaction 3) dramatic play. Despite this long-held attitude, educators are becoming more aware that outdoor play can be much more valuable then previously assumed.

Even so, having a creative and an ideal playground for children has been a critical issue in Indonesia. Some schools do not consider playground as an important area as a classroom but a place to play. It can be seen from the arrangement of the playground that only consists of standard equipment for outdoor play such as swings and slides. The effort to design a playground is not given as much as it should. The budget is usually used for an excuse for not to build a well-planned outdoor/playground area. But the problem here the writer believe is not that there is no budget, but there is not enough effort to plan. In fact, creativity is needed to arrange a playground for an optimum learning, and it does not always need an expensive budget to make one come true.  

The primary motive in writing this article is proposing some ideas of what important things to be considered in designing a playground for children so that playground is not merely a place to play but also a place to learn for children. This article is also meant to fill the lack of literature in Indonesia that can guide playground designers in designing playground for children. In this regard, this article meant to provide information on designing a playground that can fulfill the psychological needs of children so that the optimum learning which every child deserves to experience may occur.    

KEY ELEMENT OF PLAY ENVIRONMENT

Winter, Bell & Dempsey (1994) proposed that there are two key elements of play environment which are:  safety and developmental appropriateness. Other than that, Frost and Wortham (cited in Henniger, 1993/1994) added that the outdoor play environment should enhance every aspect of child development including: creativity, problem solving and just plain fun.

1.      Safety:

Above all, play environment for children must be safe.  Safety issues have been identified for nearly 20 years, statistics indicate that a growing number of children continue to be treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries incurred on the playground (Wallach cited in Henniger, 1993/1994). The most significant problem on playground is the hard packed surfaces under and around equipment (Tinsworth & Kramer, cited in Henniger, 1993/1994). This mistake is still found in so many playgrounds in Indonesia. Most of the equipments are cemented on the ground. The designers reasoned that the cleanliness of the playground can be maintained easily. But what they forget is when children are playing on the equipment they usually prone to fall, and if they fall and hit this hard packed surfaces under the play equipment, they can be severely injured. Concerned adults must replace this surface with more appropriate materials such as 12 inches of sand or pea gravel (Henniger, 1993/1994).

Other problems associated with playground for children include: equipment spacing, improper equipment installation, irregular maintenance and inadequate briefing of children on playground use (US Consumer product Safety Commission, as cited in Henniger, 1993/1994). To avoid injuries when children are playing, more concern must also be given in eliminating sharp edges of the equipments. Therefore sharp edges must be avoided in designing playground equipments and replace it with the round ones.

In regard to irregular maintenance that can threat children’s safety when they are playing, a storage method is also needed to be considered to protect equipments from weather and vandalism. This is important considering that some children may get injured from broken/damaged toys. The storage can be a shed or part of existing play structure (such as underneath a slide). Storage area has to be accessible to children (Henniger, 1993/1994) so that children can easily choose their toys and learn to be independent. It also needs to check toys and equipments regularly and be fixed to avoid injuries. Toys and equipments need to be washed regularly from dust and dirt so that it will not be the sources of germs for children.

2.      Developmental appropriateness

Winter, Bell & Dempsey (1994) asserted that developmental appropriateness is characterized by age appropriateness and individual appropriateness. To be able to make an appropriate play environment, it has to be started with understanding the development consideration (Wortham & Wortham, 1989). Typical play behaviors at different ages will provide a useful framework for understanding different forms of children’s play and for providing environments that will enable children to play appropriately (Isenberg & Quisenberry, 1988). Furthermore, Wortham and Wortham suggested some development considerations that need to take into account are:

a.      Physical Development and Play:

Design of a playground must consider the age of the children and what their important physical developments in this age are. For example: in infants and toddlers as written in Driscoll & Nagel (1999) that young toddler (12-24 months) they like:

·        Exercise physical skills

·        Likes to lug, dump, push, pull, pile, knock down, empty, fill

·        Enjoys pushing or pulling while walking

·        Likes to climb and manage small indoor stairs

·        Manipulates in a more exploratory that skillful fashion

·        Shows interest in multiple small objects

·        Carries play materials from place to place

·        (by 2 years) kicks and catches a large ball

·        (by 2 years) stings large beads, turns knobs, uses twist motion

Therefore playground for infants and toddlers must have components for physical play that include for crawling, standing, walking, stepping up and down and running. The playground then, must give an opportunity also for children to do all above things that he likes, such as lug, dump, pushing or pulling toys etc.

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Another thing that is important to be added for infant/toddlers playground are movable toys and equipment that can make playgrounds into spaces where children can have a greater effect on their environment. It is an important element in infant/toddler play, since an essential element of learning in the early childhood years is the opportunity to affect the environment (Henniger, 1993/1994). Those movable toys and equipment give opportunities to children to feel that they have control over their environment.  Therefore, infant/toddler should have the opportunity to build temporary structures on the playground.

For older children, a playground that gives opportunity to climb, run, and stronger movements may be more interesting and important. Older children also need bigger place to run and play games with more friends in a purposeful play.   

b.      Cognitive Development and Play:

In infant, from Piaget’s viewpoint (as cited in Wortham and Wortham, 1986), play requires the infant’s interaction with object using sensory and/or motor systems. Objects have also a role in the child’s ability to use symbolism. In this case, designing a play environment for infant/toddler has to relate developmental level to play experiences. Wortham and Wortham mentioned that younger children like toys better than climbing, especially when combined with sand. The reason behind this tendency is maybe that toddler are tend to be object centered, meaning that they focus more on an object (such as toy) rather than on an activity (Driscoll & Nagel, 1999). And according to Piaget’s theory, children in this particular age use their senses to explore the world. Maybe that’s why “sand” that give a special sensation in children is loved more compare to other objects.

Wortham and Wortham (1986) mentioned that since infants started interactive pretend play, then playscape must incorporate experiences for sensory exploration in both natural landscape elements and play structures that include sensory experiences. Wortham and Wortham suggested that pathways that have different surfaces, structures that provide textures and physical interactions, natural environment features will be one good example of this.

Other material that can be used in infant/toddler play, is clay, and mud that give children an opportunity to explore changes in forms as they mold the substance (Langstaff & Sproul as cited in Isenberg & Quisenberry, 1988). Adding water play area will also enables the younger children to observe changes in the substances.

  For older children, playground that gives more chances to encourage their imagination will be needed to address their needs for cognitive development.  Design that includes heroes like tree house with its Peterpan’s mysteries, princess and its castle, a lawn with some bushes and tress that children can build tents are good example of  playground that encourage imagination in children.    

c.       Social Development and Play

Research indicates that 2 and 3 year-olds need realistic props when they first start engaging in make-believe play (Elder & Pederson, Fein, as cited in Christie & Enz, 1993). Therefore it is suggested that playground in children might provide play house that can give a realistic replicas of telephones, dishes and kitchen furniture, which will be ideal for children of this age (Christie & Enz, 1993). This will encourage children to engage in dramatic play and learn some social roles and how to communicate with other children.   

In regard to the effect of toys to the children’s social development, Wortham and Wortham (1986) suggested that to design a playground must also consider the size of the toy. Small toys can reduce social interaction, but “sharable” toys encourage social interaction. Research also consistently shows an inverse relationship between the amount of play materials and children’s social interaction. (Johnson as cited in Christie & Enz, 1993). If lots of play things are available, children focus on their material rather than on their playmates. The limitation of the amount of the materials available will increase the interaction of children with more peers. Caution is recommended, however, because if too many materials are removed, aggressive interaction may increase as children compete for the remaining playthings (Christie & Enz).

Another thing that needs to be considered is the development of attachment in infant.  Older infants will start to have “separation anxiety”, that occurs when the attachment between infant and adult becomes quite intense. The playground, then, has to provide situation that parents can comfortably stay close with their children.  Older infants will also start to have “stranger anxiety”, infants start to be afraid of unfamiliar people (Driscoll & Nagel 1999). Therefore, playground for infants/toddlers need to have enough space, so that the situation will not be too crowded, so that infants will not feel surrounded by strangers, that put them in  distressed from stranger anxiety. Only later on, after they little by little get to know each other, among parents and children can work or play together. But then, later on, toddlers can start to be able to go off and play and start their exploration.

In play ground, it is also important to consider some cultural aspects that help children understand the social and ethnic values of their community. It is also advisable to install traditional equipments from different ethnic groups in playground so that children may learn about different cultures. But, stereotypes must be avoided in print material as well as actual play (Isenberg & Quisenberry, 1988).

3. Creativity.

Play contributes to creativity when it enables children to experiment with objects, to generate novel responses within play experience and to practice symbolic thinking. Therefore divergent material and material that encourage investigation and experimentation are needed. Water play, sand, mud, are examples of good materials that can help children to experiments about shapes, volumes etc.

4.      Enhance Problem Solving

Playground must consist of simple challenging tasks for children so that they will learn how to solve it. As it was believed that play also teaches children to learn problem-solving. In this case, young children usually have difficulty in understanding the problem, therefore failed in solving it. Teacher or parents in this case can help children first of all finding what the problem is then facilitate how to solve the problem (Tegano, Sawyers & Moran, 1989). Before playing, children will start with exploration phase, the more information they can acquire in this phase, the richer the quality of the play. In this case, the involvement of teacher/parents in playground to make the play become a chance to learn problem solving is very important.  

ARRANGEMENT FOR CHILDREN PLAY ENVIRONMENT

The first thing that needs to be considered is landscape. Greenman (cited in Wortham and Wortham, 1986) proposed that features of the outdoor setting provide unique elements that cannot be experienced by children during indoor play. This feature includes climate changes, landscape characteristic, openness, messiness, wildlife, and people in their natural environment as learning opportunities that can not duplicate within the building.

What is suggested are: natural landscape include planted vegetation, plants from nontoxic element that children can explore, landscape surfaces such grass, sand, wood with gentle incline, grassy knoll and flat surfaces. In article of Isenberg & Quisenberry (1988) mentioned that play ground should include a sloping area in this case must be gentle incline, large sand area and areas for digging. Climate may restrict some outdoor activities, but playgrounds should be planned for utilization year round. Gardening and animals add an important dimension to children’s outdoor play activity. The installation of clean water close to this area will be needed so that children can easily wash their hands after doing an activity in this area.  

Considering playground arrangement, it can be made like a liked series, that encouraging and directing transference of interest from one thing or place to another. Or it can also be made like a cellular matrix or perhaps a honeycomb, each cell containing a major play event. But what the most important is that the outdoor setting has to be an extension of the classroom, with the same potential for enhancing development. It means that the arrangement can not be separated from the arrangement of the indoor class itself. Esbensen (cited in Henniger, 1993/1994) proposed seven play zones that should exist on every playground: transition, manipulative/creative, projective/fantasy, focal/social, social/dramatic, physical and natural element.

It is probably also interesting to consider the importance to arrange a playground that gives children the feeling of magic and imagination, as the nature of children itself. Talbot & Frost (1989) suggested the importance of having a play environment that vibrant, enchanting, natural and magical playscapes, as at no time in life is a person more receptive to the magical than in childhood. To make this kind of playscapes, they proposed that some consideration has to be made:

1.      Change scale: installing miniature scale can be very interesting for children since children all ages delight in the diminutive (Poltarnees as cited in Talbot & Frost, 1989). This situation can give children a feeling of personal power, a validation of the self over the destinies of toys and tiny landscapes. This can offer a deep satisfaction. This gives a sense of omnipotence and sovereignty in a world that so often seems to render their lives ineffective. The second possibility is to make child-scaled : this size send a message “you are right just in your size”. The other scale that can be interesting for children is the heroic, colossal scale. Children enjoy to see something gigantic.

2.      Suggestion of other beings: Give imaginations that there are some other beings such as goblins, pixies, elves, leprechauns, hobbits, feries.

3.      Realness: children usually also amazed with the real thing. For example: a real fire engine in a play ground will have a much more profound impact on children than a climber made to remind children of one. 
 

    4.     Open-endedness: one object can be anything or multi interpretation.

5.      Nature and the elements: gardens, woods, jungles, groves, orchards, have been potent sources of enchantment.

6.      Line quality & shape: children more intrigue in a circle than a square, in a curved line than a straight one, in a multifaceted crystal than a cube.

7.      Sensuality: places that engage senses are more enchanting. Rich color, fragrances, pleasant sounds, engaging textures, varied light qualities etc.

8.      Playscapes also needs to provide novelty and mystery. An artificial cave can be one example of a mystery place for children in the playground.

9.      Brilliance: the mesmeric and transporting qualities of things that sparkle, glitter and shine are intriguing for children.

10.  Doing nothing: give a place for children just simply doing nothing but wandering in their own imagination or just being relaxed.

And finally, the playground has to be highly interactive of the five senses. It was in line with what is proposed by Cherry (1976) about creative play, that emphasizes activities that involve tasting, seeing, smelling, hearing, and touching, coupled with movement experiences of all kinds. The creative play philosophy is based on the premise that the more individual’s emotions are involved, the more sensory information he will receive, then the more easily learning takes place. With this, the goal of setting up a good playground for children that is to provide the best opportunities for children at all times to learn may be achieved.

But above all things, the playground arrangement must give the biggest opportunity for children to just plain fun as it was proposed by Frost and Wortham (cited in Henniger, 1993/1994). Children are there to enjoy their time playing, therefore the most important consideration in designing playground for infants and toddlers is that the playground has to be   very fun place for children to play. The playground must be a memorable place to go, the place that will make children want to comeback to play, again and again.

REFERENCES

Cherry, C. (1976). Creative Play for the Developing Child. California: Fearon Pitman Publisher, Inc.

Christie, J. & Enz, B.J. (1993). Providing Resources for Play. Childhood Education, 69, 291-293.

Driscoll, A. & Nagel, N.G. (1999). Early Childhood Education Birth – 8: The world of children, families and educators. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 

Henniger, M.L. (1993/1994). Enriching the Outdoor Play Experience. Childhood Education, 70, 87-90.

Isenberg, J. & Quisenberry. (1988). Play: A Necessity for All Children. Childhood Education, 64, 138-145.

Tegano, D.W.,  Sawyers J.K. & Moran, J.D. (1989). Problem-Finding and Solving in Play: The teacher’s role. Childhood Education, 66, 92-97.

Talbot, J. & Frost, J.L. (1989). Magical Playscape. Childhood Education, 66, 11- 19.

Winter, S.M., Bell, M.J., Dempsey, J.D. (1994). Creating Play Environment for Children with Special Needs. Childhood Education, 7, 28-32.

Wortham, S.C. & Wortham, M.R. (1989). Designing Creative Play Environment: Infant/Toddler Development and Play. Childhood Education, 65, 295-299.