I have received a number of back issues of Children in Europe (published in September & March in 15 languages, by a network of national magazines in 17 countries) + Children in Scotland (published monthly) and I am strongly considering reviving my membership now that I am back in Europe. However, I feel that the information shared could prove valuable no matter where you are in this world — review coming soon – in the meantime, check out Issue 19!

Issue 19 “examines the use of outside space across the EU and considers the benefits that unstructured play and the natural environment offer to young children and the implications for pedagogical approaches and support.

Includes articles on how to develop outdoor spaces and encourage more extensive use of the natural environment in risk averse societies and examines the positive influences on children’s health and wellbeing.”

Contents include:

*Comparative table of outdoor space standards and services for young children in selected European countries *Encouraging more outdoor physical activity – Bødo, Norway *Outside the school: A world full of possibilities – Catalonia *Let’s play in Brussels! *Outdoor play at the core of health promotion – Sweden *Promoting traditional outdoor games for the well-being of children – Romania *Introducing children to outdoor living- Denmark *Pedagogy: The art of handling risks, not avoiding them – Germany *If the whole world could see me, they would see that I was smiling – Croatia *Where was your favourite place to play as a child? – England *Gender differences in playgrounds – Northwest Greece *Street life – Rome, Italy *Playing outdoors in natural spaces – Scotland & Italy.

Click here to buy!

For teachers of Early Childhood Education who are familiar with the Reggio Educational Approach and Philosophy which insists that children learn readily from their environment, and therefor the environment is the ‘third’ teacher’, The Diana Municipal Preschool is a mecca, so to speak.

Below is an overview of the Diana Municipal Preschool in Reggio Emilia, Italy from ‘Imagine’.

‘Imagine’ is “a database which captures school design best practice from around the world.” Case studies are selected, researched and written by a core team of architects and researchers and serve as an academic resource and research base, applicable in the practice of design, planning and construction of schools.

“The Reggio Emilia schools were established after the 2nd World War by communities who took the opportunity to redesign and rebuild their approach to preschool education in the city. Parents literally used the rubble of destroyed buildings to create learning environments whose focus was to allow children the opportunity to experience life through sensory investigation. The design of the school buildings is aimed to link inside and outside, creating an environment where ‘osmosis’ between enclosed and open spaces could occur. The buildings and pedagogy were considered and developed at the same time, each reinforcing the other.”

View full case study here

(this photographic belongs to my personal archive)

Satomi Izumi-Taylor, University of Memphis
Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson, Göteborg University
Cosby Steele Rogers, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Introduction

“Research regarding play is complex, and culture is a key factor in determining how people in different nations view play. People with different cultural backgrounds tend to pay attention to different characteristics of the same phenomena (Azuma, 1986); because teachers’ perspectives on play are influenced by their own cultures, these perspectives vary widely. Teachers’ perceptions of play affect children’s experiences in their classrooms. Thus, we felt, as scholars doing research in Japan, Sweden, and the United States, that comparing teachers’ perceptions of play in those countries could provide insights that might expand the discourse about play in those countries and internationally. We also felt that our findings could prove useful to those who wish to design effective early childhood education programs.

We anticipate that our research on perspectives on play expressed by American, Japanese, and Swedish early childhood educators can provide a basis for reflection and understanding among the educators in these nations who, in spite of cultural differences, all recognize play as essential in children’s development and learning (Izumi-Taylor, Rogers, & Pramling Samuelsson, 2007).”

…continue reading this article titled Perspectives of Play in Three Nations: A Comparative Study in Japan, the United States, and Sweden via the Early Childhood Research and Practice website

What is the National Institute for Play?

“The National Institute for Play is a 501c(3) non-profit public benefit corporation committed to bringing the unrealized knowledge, practices and benefits of play into public life. It is gathering research from diverse play scientists and practitioners, initiating projects to expand the clinical scientific knowledge of human play and translating this emerging body of knowledge into programs and resources which deliver the transformative power of play to all segments of society.”

This isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing resource but there is some valuable information and reference material available for both parents and teachers who believe in play.

NEWS, PROJECTS, PAPERS and LINKS

EcoLabs gives us EcoMag – “a magazine about art, design & sustainability. Each issue will focus on a theme while investigating issues lying at the root of the ecological crisis”.

The theme of the first issue is ‘Future Scenarios’. EcoMag is available as a low resolution Pdf download here.