We were children. Some have matured, some have not. The latter, however, is very rare. Much more often, unfortunately, we do not fully understand what a little person really needs. And all because of lost the thread of his childhood, and we already can’t imagine myself playing “war games” or jumping in the “classics”.
I have a suggestion. Let’s try to be children for a while and look around with their eyes. I’m sure that’s the only way we can make a garden for them the way they really like it. Yes, and do not forget that this garden should be created with the direct participation of your child.
It is not so rare that the most comfortable and expensive Playground suddenly somehow becomes uninteresting to the child, and he runs away to the overgrown neighboring wasteland, and completely ignores the bright beautiful shells bought by loving parents.
By the way, why do we all decide only mom and dad? Are they going to “light” here with friends?
The mountains and the jungle for young adventurers
A completely flat and completely open space of the site is unlikely to be interesting for a child who has a need for secluded corners. Not random children’s love of tents on city vacant lots – so just play along! “Kindergarten” can be built as a maze, and only by what created this maze (plants, buildings) – you decide.
I am sure that on a flat ground, which can be seen from all sides, play adventure is quite difficult. Now, if there is relief, and even with its secluded corners, hidden observation points – wow, that’s what we need. In winter, these hills can be filled with water and turn into an ice mountain. And overcoming the “mountains” for the youngest, according to child psychologists, is absolutely necessary (leadership, heroism, etc.).
In General, the effect of the mountains, which must be conquered, and thickets of plants, like the jungle, will appeal to any child. By the way, the thickets can be created from such plants as Polygonum sachalinense, Rubus odoratus, Sorbaria sorbifolia. They are unpretentious, and trample them not trample-will grow again. In addition, their size may well hide the child from his companions, who suddenly became members of the enemy tribe in the game. But some large cereals, sometimes recommended for this purpose, may look great, but they are quite easy to cut.
The style of the Playground
Now a little about the style. I imagine someone in the audience is grinning right now. But if you think about it, we often talk about the style of your garden and almost never talk about the style of the Playground. And she should be there, maybe even more clearly than in the main garden.
The stylization of the Playground, unlike the soulless embodiment of it in wood and metal, will stimulate the imagination of the child, will provoke games. It is known that from the point of view of pedagogy, children should invent their own games. We only need to provide an incentive for imagination. Style is the stimulus.
It works especially well when detached from today and/or from the geography of a given place. Maybe it will be Robinson island, maybe-an Indian village, and maybe-a space station that landed on another planet? Think about it, because who, if not you, knows best about the child’s favorite books, his favorite movies.
A tech or a young naturalist?
Of course, all children are different, and someone grows a technician, and someone a young naturalist. But I am sure that both are probably not interested in standard metal structures on the site, covered with gravel. And if you have a future Builder, an engineer, then let him design his own site. It may well be this kind of designer.
Suppose first that there are only four pillars, which then begin to “grow into” (of course, with the help of adults) walls, floor, ceiling. In the course will all: boxes, logs. The child’s eyes light up when he begins to build his first house in life. In General, the child has almost pathological craving for his own house, and the above-mentioned huts are all from the same place, because you want to become an adult and independent faster.
On the other hand, maybe your child will be much more interesting not to build a house, but to cultivate your own flower garden or have your own vegetable garden. Often these girls are fond of, but sometimes it happens that boys. But to instill a love of nature has the meaning of not just keen young naturalist.
Yes, a children’s garden or flower garden is needed, of course, not everyone, but birdhouses will not prevent anyone. Good and bird feeders, in which the child in the winter with his own sprinkles cereals and bread crumbs, carefully collected from the table after dinner.
Plant plants that attract birds – they should serve to introduce children to nature. Very often advise: avoid planting plants that attract insects. This, they say, is fraught with bites. So what? Such a bite is not fatal, but for the rest of life the child will understand who is who, who is afraid – and who is not.
Another very important moment in the life of a child – planting your own tree. This is not directly related to children’s playgrounds, but has a direct relationship to the knowledge of nature and education of love for it. Large seeds of trees – such as Quercus rubra, Juglans cinerea, Aesculus hippocastanum and others — the child can sow, and then together with his father and mother grown seedlings planted outside his cottage or home. Who knows, maybe someday he will drive his grandchildren under the crowns of these oaks. And there will be nothing more touching in the family album than a series of photos with successive generations of your kind under the gathering force of oaks.
In General, when designing a Playground, remember that this is the main function for adults-rest, and here the main thing – the knowledge of life. And when building a house formed spatial thinking, when planting a tree-known nature.
A sandpit, a tent… And what else?
It is clear that here we are talking about older children. But the kids who were busy with the mud pies in the sandbox, they are also engineers. Games kids with sand and water are used to learn the properties of these elements, develop motor skills, form spatial thinking.
By the way, since we are talking about water, it is quite acceptable on the Playground. Remember how in the spring all the children like to run the boats in the streams. So give them such joy for the whole season! Of course, we are not talking about the creation of reservoirs on the Playground, it can be dangerous.
Here’s a thought about the streams, about the huts. These children’s habits are known to all, but for some reason no one uses in their gardens. And what else of such habits? Remember the hiding places you used to do as a kid? So-called” secrets ” under glass that were hidden under the ground? And chalk on the pavement? Well, who didn’t like that? So why not give this opportunity to the child in the garden? By the way, child psychologists believe that the best for kids is drawing with yellow chalk on a green Board. The study of letters or numbers in this range will be much more effective.
Since we are talking about color, then, of course, it is important to note that children are particularly sensitive to saturated colors. At the same time, their development is going in the right direction. Pastel and achromatic options – this is what we come to with age, and here – youth and a riot of colors.