Playroom Design for Children of Different Age - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about thePlayroom Design for Children of Different Age Groups. Answer: The early childhood is the timeframe where the cognitive abilities of the children are develop slowly but steadily. Therefore, it is crucial for there to be developmental activities designed that will facilitate optimal cognitive and physical development. Now, it also needs to be mentioned that the development, be it physical or cognitive, is never at the same pace for different age groups. Hence, if a particular activity is enough to keep two year olds busy along with fortifying their developmental practices, there is little possibility that the same activity will attract the attention of four year olds significantly (David Weinstein, 2013). According to the pedagogical framework provide by the famous Reggio- Emilia approach, indicates that each child is socially curious entity and the learning pattern for a child will differ completely from that of the other (Vecchi, 2010). Hence it is very important for the playroom design to be constructivist and centred on particular age groups . This essay will explore playroom design and activities based on the different age groups. The concept of child development has a varied range of external and internal factors associated, and the need for a standardized procedure becomes imperative to ensure that the children have equal scope to build their physical and cognitive abilities. According to the concept of the Reggio Emilia approach, the learning of the children is focussed on their individual experiences (Vecchi, 2010). Hence the playroom design strategy for different age groups must incorporate objects and activities to ensure that they are being provided with activities and experiences that will foster optimal development (DuBroy, 2010). Considering the first age group under consideration in this assignment, the two year olds can be considered the most challenging age group among the rest. At age 2, the child becomes a toddler and with the ability to walk freely comes the acute desire to roam around and explore. It will not be effective to try to keep a two year old occupied with stuffed toys or colourful toys, they no longer attract a new toddler. In the age of two, a child successfully learns a few motor skills, in order to facilitate better learning experiences for the children of this age group, it is very important to incorporate activities that can foster different activities that will allow the children to use their newly acquired motor skills (Hosseinpour Memarzadeh, 2010). The playroom for a two year old can include a playpen filled with colourful balls, it will attract the attention of the children and will help in the children being able to play with them using both their hands and legs, improving their m uscular strength. The Lego pieces are very popular among infants, in a playroom of a two year old, Lego pieces will be effective tools for the children to continue their cognitive growth buy building activities. It has to be understood that in the age group of 2 year olds are attracted by bright colours and anything that requires them to try a little, something easily attainable will not be anything of preference for them. They theme for the playroom should incorporate bright colours and as the children at this age learn to scribble, colourful doodling books can help them in their finger motor skills and also contribute to their sensory development (Lambert et al., 2014). For the age group of 4, a child has grown significantly from the toddler age, and it is considered an ideal pre-schooling age. At this age the children will have significantly developed motor skills and cognitive abilities. In this age the children are capable of reading and entry level writing skills. At this age interactive learning tools should be the first line if choices in designing the playroom for this age groups. Doodling and colouring activities are known to be the most preferred in this age group, hence colouring books and doodling activities should be one of the most preferred activities in this particular age group. It is very important to encourage a strong relationship with the environment. I will also include potted plants in the playrooms also encouraging the students to participate in watering the plants regularly so that the children can develop the habit of caring for the environment from a small age itself (Norton?Westwood, 2012). Along with that i would incorpor ate story telling activities in the playroom for the four year old age group, as it will enhance their attentiveness and interpretation skills. I would also include puzzle activities or this age group, as it would foster better cognitive development in the children and will facilitate problem solving skills in them. At this age the children are able to recognize words and numbers so I will also include word and numbers identification objects in the playroom along with the other items. In the last age group, the one with 7 year be more advanced age group, the playroom needs to be more engaging and should include objects that will be facilitate development in a challenging manner. The learning objects like books, colouring story books, puzzles, and object identification games will need to be a little more difficult so as to challenge their abilities so that the children get out of their comfort zone and learn new things every day (Robertson Balaam, 2013). Along with that team-working activities will be extremely helpful for this age group; hence group singing and dancing activities will be helpful. In this age group, introducing the children in competition will be much more productive than just letting them play. Recitation or drawing competitions will be included as weekly activities in the playroom for 7 year olds. Role playing games allow the children to express themselves in a unwarranted and unrestricted manner, it rejuvenates their imagination and creativity to an extent that is extremely beneficial for their cognitive health and development. I will include role playing games as twice a month activity where the children are allowed to dress up like anyone they want to and present an act of impersonation for the entir4 playroom. Hence, equipments like story colouring books, drawing supplies, musical instruments, block puzzles, treasure hunt supplies and role playing props will be included in this room as well (Scott, 2010). References: David, T. G., Weinstein, C. S. (Eds.). (2013).Spaces for children: The built environment and child development. Springer Science Business Media. DuBroy, M. (2010). Building virtual spaces for children in the digital branch.The Australian Library Journal,59(4), 211-223. Hosseinpour, M., Memarzadeh, M. (2010). Use of a preoperative playroom to prepare children for surgery.European journal of pediatric surgery,20(06), 408-411. Lambert, V., Coad, J., Hicks, P., Glacken, M. (2014). Young childrens perspectives of ideal physical design features for hospital-built environments.Journal of Child Health Care,18(1), 57-71. Norton?Westwood, D. (2012). The health?care environment through the eyes of a childDoes it soothe or provoke anxiety?.International Journal of Nursing Practice,18(1), 7-11. Robertson, J., Balaam, M. (2013, June). Designing for the needs of child patients in hospital settings. InProceedings of the 12th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children(pp. 625-627). ACM. Scott, S. (2010).Architecture for children. Aust Council for Ed Research. Vecchi, V. (2010). Art and creativity in Reggio Emilia: Exploring the role and potential of ateliers in early childhood education. Routledge.