A truely heartening article.... What do you think?
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Are Today's Youth Less Creative & Imaginative? - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com
Are Today's Youth Less Creative & Imaginative? - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com
Well there's a surprise.....pre-chew their imaginations for them (video games and TV) deprive them of the time, situation and environments to develop an imagination for anything other than trite face book "likes" and you end up with another brick in the wall.
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Let's create safe places for kids to get dirty | NKY.com | cincinnati.com
Let's create safe places for kids to get dirty | NKY.com | cincinnati.com
From the pictures it seems lots of children want to get out from behind that TV ?
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Seven reasons for a new nature movement - Richard Louv
Seven reasons for a new nature movement - Richard Louv
This piece by Richard Louv highlights how important nature is!
Friday, 12 August 2011
Park Design, Technology and Gaps!
I have been meaning to write this post for a couple of weeks but have been so busy that when I get free time the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer!
A newspaper article from a few weeks back has me reflecting on park design and how often the designs become all about the play equipment and less about the space. The article talked about a park in Sydney that had previously been open space, which after a recent development, pieces of play equipment were added and a "playground" created. The equipment included a flying fox (and I love these!) and a swing which locals describe as a "flying saucer". The addition of this equipment, as close to homes as 20m has resulted in some negative press about the space. Residents have been "crying for rain on the weekend" just so children won't attend the park because the screaming from them on the equipment has become unbearable. Firstly it's sad that the residents feel this way about children having fun, but then if you count out 20m from your loungeroom and then imagine a flying fox there, you can start to see some issues in the location of this equipment. Parks should always be designed in consultation with residents and surrounding businesses and the community as a whole. The idea though that play equipment is always needed in a park is an adult concept that children just don't have. As adults we perceive that children aren't playing unless they are on some type of manufactured equipment when that's just not the case. Play takes many forms and if Councils could integrate their policies and provision of open space with an understanding of children's play then parks would not just become play equipment venues.
This leads on to my reading about some industrial design awards of which Kompan won for their new type of play equipment which has melded technology with the need to go outdoors (their words not mine). Play equipment where you press buttons, interface with screens and basically bring technology into the playground. WHY? Why does technology have to be in the playground? Children spend so much time as it is sitting at computers using consoles, clicking mice and staring at screens do they really need to do that outside? I know Kompan is quite a respected play equipment supplier but I get so frustrated when I see these companies trying to use the outdoors and in effect nature, as a way to manipulate that adult perception of children's play I mentioned above. By trying to bring that technological bent to their equipment they subtly manipulate parents into thinking that children "playing" with this equipment is good for them. Is it better than bushwalking, imaginary play, rocks and boulders and basically the simplicity of nature? I doubt it.
Finally, this week a landscape architect from a local Council when reviewing one of my designs mentioned that when constructing sandpits, creek beds, etc with rocks/sandstone they needed to have absolutely no gaps between them. As no rock is the same I thought this might be difficult but I asked the reason why - the reply - because the gaps would encourage spiders and insects!! I really didn't have the heart to tell her that was kind of the idea!!
A newspaper article from a few weeks back has me reflecting on park design and how often the designs become all about the play equipment and less about the space. The article talked about a park in Sydney that had previously been open space, which after a recent development, pieces of play equipment were added and a "playground" created. The equipment included a flying fox (and I love these!) and a swing which locals describe as a "flying saucer". The addition of this equipment, as close to homes as 20m has resulted in some negative press about the space. Residents have been "crying for rain on the weekend" just so children won't attend the park because the screaming from them on the equipment has become unbearable. Firstly it's sad that the residents feel this way about children having fun, but then if you count out 20m from your loungeroom and then imagine a flying fox there, you can start to see some issues in the location of this equipment. Parks should always be designed in consultation with residents and surrounding businesses and the community as a whole. The idea though that play equipment is always needed in a park is an adult concept that children just don't have. As adults we perceive that children aren't playing unless they are on some type of manufactured equipment when that's just not the case. Play takes many forms and if Councils could integrate their policies and provision of open space with an understanding of children's play then parks would not just become play equipment venues.
This leads on to my reading about some industrial design awards of which Kompan won for their new type of play equipment which has melded technology with the need to go outdoors (their words not mine). Play equipment where you press buttons, interface with screens and basically bring technology into the playground. WHY? Why does technology have to be in the playground? Children spend so much time as it is sitting at computers using consoles, clicking mice and staring at screens do they really need to do that outside? I know Kompan is quite a respected play equipment supplier but I get so frustrated when I see these companies trying to use the outdoors and in effect nature, as a way to manipulate that adult perception of children's play I mentioned above. By trying to bring that technological bent to their equipment they subtly manipulate parents into thinking that children "playing" with this equipment is good for them. Is it better than bushwalking, imaginary play, rocks and boulders and basically the simplicity of nature? I doubt it.
Finally, this week a landscape architect from a local Council when reviewing one of my designs mentioned that when constructing sandpits, creek beds, etc with rocks/sandstone they needed to have absolutely no gaps between them. As no rock is the same I thought this might be difficult but I asked the reason why - the reply - because the gaps would encourage spiders and insects!! I really didn't have the heart to tell her that was kind of the idea!!
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Sunday, 7 August 2011
Being outdoors helps sharpen the mind | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Being outdoors helps sharpen the mind | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Good vision, acute hearing, an attuned sense of smell, spatial awareness - just some of the things we have unknowingly lost due to an increasing artificial existence
Is it Illegal to Feed Kids From the School Garden?
Is it Illegal to Feed Kids From the School Garden?
Trust the government to know what's best for you? Yeh, right!
Trust the government to know what's best for you? Yeh, right!
Saturday, 6 August 2011
The outdoor child should be an ‘indicator species’ for London | Rethinking Childhood
The outdoor child should be an ‘indicator species’ for London | Rethinking Childhood
A thought provoking article from the UK's Tim Gill, positing that the number of children seen playing outdoors in any suburb can be "seen as a measure of quality of the neighbourhoods". I wonder how most Australian towns and suburbs would rate if this measure were to be applied to us?
A thought provoking article from the UK's Tim Gill, positing that the number of children seen playing outdoors in any suburb can be "seen as a measure of quality of the neighbourhoods". I wonder how most Australian towns and suburbs would rate if this measure were to be applied to us?
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