Landscape for children to play and learn: A conceptual framework

Play and movement are at the very center of young children’s lives. Allowing the children to experience the natural and man-made elements in their living environments would generate cognitive, physical and social skills and developments. Children do not discriminate between playing and learning; to them both activities are attained in same time and space. To them natural forces such as rain and wind, natural features such as vegetation, animals and landform, and man-made elements such as building and road are ubiquitous elements in their living environments. Through play with the elements they learn to perceive their benefits or adversities. They learn through three modes of learning which are cognitive, affective and evaluative from the landscapes, either natural or nurtured. Such involvement would generate physiological and psychological well-being to them. This paper explains a conceptual framework on landscape for children to play and learn in direct mean rather than vicarious way. The landscape is described as an ecological dynamic entity that develops the cognitive, physical and social functioning of the children. In conclusion, it is important to design and develop landscapes for children that stimulate their senses, provide feedbacks and afford functional meanings to their cognitive, social and physical skills

Affordance of garden towards restorative process of hospitalized children

This study investigates sense of affordance attains by hospitalized children participating in a pediatric-ward garden during their restoration in hospital. Affordances are the functional meanings generated when children play with the garden features, either alone or with peers. According to ecological perceptual psychology, the affordances are interrelated with stimulation and feedback when the children interact with the garden contents. The functional meanings of the garden can be seen in four different levels of affordances: potential, perceived, utilized and shaped affordances. The affordances generate movement through play and positive perceptual judgments such as attachment, affiliation, memory, bonding and affection toward the garden features. Responses from 31 patients, aged 6-12 years, are elicited by semi-structured interview. It is found that 84% (n=26) patients perceived and utilized the affordances of play equipment. However, less number of patients (52%; n=16) perceived the plant as significant element of the garden. This perception suggests the affordances of the play equipment are greater than the plant. Moreover, all patients recognized the affordances of microclimatic factors (rain, sunlight, temperature and wind). Thus through play participation with the garden elements afford the patients to increase their cognitive performances, improve performance tasks (i.e. play) and increased social performances. In healthcare delivery, these improvements are considered restoration. This seems to suggest that garden is an environmental intervention in affording hospitalized children to foster health recovery

Children's drawings as research tool : establishing children's environmental concepts and preferences with reference to urban open space planning and design in Johore Bahru, Malaysia.

The aim of this research is to investigate meanings and concepts of children's drawings from cultural and gender perspectives using appropriate qualitative techniques and methods for interpreting drawing. This thesis discusses how children's concepts and preferences may differ from adults' thinking and planning. The study starts with a discussion of various issues of relating to children and urban planning and design in Johore Bahru, Malaysia. This is followed by a review of the psychology of children's drawings; the use of children's drawings in environmental research; the provision for and children's use of urban environments, and the state of Johore Bahru's urban environmental planning. Through the literature review, this research studies "Western" models from interdisciplinary perspectives. The children's drawings were used as a research tool to reveal their concepts of home landscape and activities they preferred in an ideal residential neighbourhood environment. Data from questionnaires and essays were used to check evidence found in drawings. In all, 114 Malay, Chinese and Indian children from seven primary schools in urban Johore Bahru completed the tasks. The findings of qualitative content analysis and interpretation of drawings showed similarities and differences across cultures and genders in environmental concepts and preferences which may indicate shortcomings in current urban planning. Children's drawings provide valuable information on the development of children's environmental concepts and preferences of ideal home landscape. The concepts are represented in the form of diverse, safe, colourful and accessible naturalistic environments for exploration, learning, play and socialising with peers. This finding will help future research projects by providing information indicating issues and problems in provision of open spaces within the urban planning system. The thesis concludes with a critical commentary on the likely use of children's drawing as research tool, children's environmental needs and preferences, together with the possibility of child participation in decision making, planning and design process within the urban planning system in Malaysia

Landscape for children to play and learn: a conceptual comparison between natural stream and playground

Playing And Moving Are The Central Of Young Children’s Lives. Allowing The Children To Experience The Natural And Man-Made Elements In Their Living Environment Would Generate Cognitive, Physical, And Social Skills Development. To Them Natural Forces Such As Rain And Wind, Natural Features Such As Vegetation, Animals And Landform, And Man-Made Elements Such As Buildings And Road Are Ubiquitous Elements In Their Living Environment. By Playing With Those Elements, They Learn To Perceive Their Benefits Or Adversities. Mobility And Perception In The Landscape Stimulate The Children’s Senses And Generate Feedbacks As Well As Affordances. Through Movement, The Children Perceive The Landscape Through Three Modes Of Learning Which Are Cognitive, Affective, And Evaluative. Two Contrasting Landscape Settings, A Stream And A Playground, Are Compared To Explain The Similarities And Differences Of Stimulations, Feedbacks, And Affordances, And The Modes Of Learning. The Landscape Is Described As An Ecological Dynamic Entity That Through Direct Experience Would Generate The Cognitive, Physical And Social Developments Of The Children. In Conclusion, It Is Important To Design And Develop Landscapes For Children That Stimulate Their Senses, Provide Feedbacks And Afford Functional Meanings To Their Cognitive, Physical And Social Skills

Phenomenological approach in determining responses of hospitalised children experiencing a garden

This study presents and describes a phenomenological approach of an experiment conducted on 31 middle childhood paediatric patients experiencing a hospital garden. The approach is a measure to collect behavioural data of the patients by examining the situated actions of patients in the garden context. As such the approach views the patient-in-garden as the unit of analysis. As a context, the garden is a play space where an individual patient interacts through play with physical elements as well as transacts with peers and caregivers. His behavioural responses are his actions and words suggesting his perceptual judgments towards the garden as a context. This study conducts an affective procedure to elicit the perceptual judgments and movement of the patients in their situated actions. The procedure ensures cooperation from the children without disrupting their play or intimating their moods. The study measures patients’ increased cognitive, physical and social functioning as restorative outcomes

Phenomenological Approach in Determining Responses of Hospitalised Children Experiencing a Garden

This study presents and describes a phenomenological approach of an experiment conducted on 31 middle childhood paediatric patients experiencing a hospital garden. The approach is a measure to collect behavioural data of the patients by examining the situated actions of patients in the garden context. As such the approach views the patient-in-garden as the unit of analysis. As a context, the garden is a play space where an individual patient interacts through play with physical elements as well as transacts with peers and caregivers. His behavioural responses are his actions and words suggesting his perceptual judgments towards the garden as a context. This study conducts an affective procedure to elicit the perceptual judgments and movement of the patients in their situated actions. The procedure ensures cooperation from the children without disrupting their play or intimating their moods. The study measures patients’ increased cognitive, physical and social functioning as restorative outcomes

Garden as environmental intervention in restoration process of hospitalized children

This study investigates the psychological benefits attained by pediatric patients after experiencing a hospital garden during their restoration process. The benefits are measured from patients’ increased cognitive performances, improved performance tasks and increased social performances when they play or rest in the garden. Thirty-one patients, aged 6 to 12 years, from the pediatric ward of Batu Pahat Hospital are allowed to experience the garden and their behavioral responses are elicited through field observations by the investigator and caregivers. The responses are measured in two ways: (1) qualitative i.e. preference and satisfaction of patients to the garden properties and attributes by semi-structured interview, and (2) quantitative i.e. movement of patient in play activities by behavioral mapping. It is found that 81% (n=25) patients preferred to be in the garden than the ward. Their preferences are influenced by 11 properties or attributes of the garden including refreshing smell, fresh air, full with light, cheerful environment, pleasant sound, scenic view, open space, free to play, not confined, home feeling, and place for variety of activities. Moreover, 68% (n=21) of patients played actively in the garden with long length of play (mean=52 minutes) and high to moderate number of equipment played (11 to 25 equipment). Such behavioral responses suggest the garden fosters the patients’ restorative process by increasing their functioning: cognitive, physical and social. This finding suggests the importance to include garden as an environmental intervention to enhance the health recovery of the pediatric patients in the hospital setting