An ecological approach to children's playground props

Abstract

This paper describes an ecological approach to designing children's play props. By studying the world with the help of intermediary objects, children learn about the physical and "mythical" characteristics of their three-dimensional surroundings through physically active play. Starting from the universal pull-along toy as inspiration, a new category of space explorer emerges that interacts with children as they engage their outdoor play environment. Early design experiences are described and directions for future research are given.