Play Research & Child Development

Play is a complex and multi-faceted subject, with research from many different disciplines contributing to our understanding. This section will introduce you to the recent history of play, outline injury prevention research coming from the field of medicine, and explore the 7Cs – a study that tackles the critical design elements of young children’s outdoor spaces. While the 7Cs is focused on child care centres and Early Childhood Education (ECE), many of the ideas discussed in this study are applicable to all elementary school children. Developing a deeper understanding of what children need in their play environments is critical before moving forward into the design of a new project.