Playing children: Documenting autonomy-supportive space using an architectural-psychological method

Abstract

Preschool children display their newly acquired autonomy during playtime by initiating creative play free from parental control. The development of autonomy requires encouraging environments physically as well as socially. However, how physical properties of play spaces affect children’s autonomy is not well documented, partly because of the methodological difficulties involved in such fieldwork. Certain spaces may encourage or discourage autonomous behavior in children. The purpose of the study is to investigate how space can support children’s autonomy during play using architectural visualization methods along with theory from the field of psychology. It focuses on the interaction between children, parents, and space and takes play as a medium of investigation through a series of workshops with children aged 3-6 years and their parents took place in the period of two months. Maps of play areas were created using architectural visual documentation techniques while children’s play activities were analyzed with a pre-determined coding system. The observation of play activities suggested that children’s concentration while playing is an important indicator of autonomy. It demonstrated that spatial arrangements define the distance between children and their parents, which in turn influences the children’s concentration that is required for their autonomous play. Combining knowledge and techniques from the fields of psychology and architecture, the study documented how the space supports children’s autonomy rather indirectly via its effect on parental proximity, while outdoor spaces with their rich environment instigate such autonomous behavior.