Project Description:
Reduced contact with nature negatively impacts children's development, leading to health issues like diabetes, lower self-esteem, and fewer social skills (Loebach et al., 2021). In contrast, childhood exposure to forests fosters creativity, curiosity, and lower anxiety (Snell et al., 2020). However, time in nature has declined significantly—Americans spend 93% of their time indoors, with children averaging only seven minutes of unstructured outdoor play daily (Center for American Progress, 2022).

 

Design can help address this issue by fostering environments that encourage exploration, creativity, and meaningful engagement through collaboration and play. Co-design, a participatory approach where children help shape their spaces and experiences, allows their perspectives, needs, and imaginations to be central to the process (Druin, 2002; Sanders & Stappers, 2012). This aligns with the Reggio Emilia philosophy, which views the environment as the "third teacher," supporting exploration and problem-solving. Just as Reggio Emilia values children as active participants in learning, co-design ensures that children's voices shape the spaces, services, and products they use rather than leaving decisions solely to adults. (Sanders & Stappers, 2012)

 

This project is an exploratory case study on co-design methods conducted with children who attend an elementary school in the Midwest, USA. Design researchers and teachers used a participatory design approach in a five-session process to explore how third to fifth graders interacted with hands-on co-design methods in creating ideas for their new outdoor play space

 

Committee Members:
Elizabeth Sanders (advisor), Will Nickley, Laurie Katz

 

Keywords: 
participatory design, co-design, elementary school kids, outdoor, play area, play, Reggio Emilia, design research, translational design