Landscape for children to play and learn: A conceptual framework

Abstract

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.