The Effects of Visual Boundaries in Two-Year-Olds' Playrooms

Abstract

This study examines the influence of the spatial arrangement of playrooms on 21-to-36- month-olds in group care settings. The approach, integrating environmental and developmental foci, is based on the hypothesis that children of this age range should be highly responsive to the degree of visual connection within play spaces. In three day-care centers, transformations of the spatial arrangement were carried out to compare children's use of space with or without the presence of major visual boundaries in the playroom. The results show that the presence of visual barriers produces a significant reduction in the use of adult-distant spaces. Further, when children are separated from adults by a visual obstacle they exhibit more self-centered behavior and are more frequently engaged in conflicts, whereas easy visual connection with the adults' location elicits more socially oriented behavior, and in particular, friendlier interactions between peers.