Model for Play | Creating Environments for Learning through Playful Exploration

Cultivating imagination in early childhood education is a fundamental stage in the development of children. This cultivation is set aside when children reach school age. The traditional classroom has become a workstation environment, where children move from task to task—creating a singular type of student and disregarding the inherent differences of the human condition. Educational experience has become stagnant and repetitive, with little to no room for the development of individual imaginations. The design of the classroom setting is a critical point of exploration—as the mechanism for change in the education of children. This thesis aims to explore the learning environments the present and their ability to encourage educational engagement through playful activities. Through the spatial design of learning environments, this thesis will create alternative educational environments, which engage students through the stimulation of imagination; spark exploration; and allow for natural play. The design creates a new model for primary school learning, that uses learning, play, and nature to create rich learning spaces—which can adapt from traditional learning to more active and exploratory learning strategies