Book

The design of childhood : how the material world shapes independent kids

Lange, Alexandra, author

Overview

\"From building blocks to city blocks, an eye-opening exploration of how children's playthings and physical surroundings affect their development. Parents obsess over their children's playdates, kindergarten curriculum, and every bump and bruise, but the toys, classrooms, playgrounds, and neighborhoods little ones engage with are just as important. These objects and spaces encode decades, even centuries of changing ideas about what makes for good child-rearing--and what does not. Do you choose wooden toys, or plastic, or, increasingly, digital? What do youngsters lose when seesaws are deemed too dangerous and slides are designed primarily for safety? How can the built environment help children cultivate self-reliance? In these debates, parents, educators, and kids themselves are often caught in the middle. Now, prominent design critic Alexandra Lange reveals the surprising histories behind the human-made elements of our children's pint-size landscape. Her fascinating investigation shows how the seemingly innocuous universe of stuff affects kids' behavior, values, and health, often in subtle ways. And she reveals how years of decisions by toymakers, architects, and urban planners have helped--and hindered--American youngsters' journeys toward independence. Seen through Lange's eyes, everything from the sandbox to the street becomes vibrant with buried meaning. Perfect for parents, educators, and anyone interested in design and architecture, [this book] will change the way you view the world--by showing it to you through children's eyes.\"--Jacket.

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Subject: Play environments Design and construction. / Playgrounds Design and construction. / Toys Design and construction. / Child development. / Families Life Stages Infants and Toddlers. / Family relationships Life Stages Infants and Toddlers. / FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS Life Stages Infants & Toddlers. / PSYCHOLOGY Developmental Child. / SOCIAL SCIENCE Children's Studies.
• ISBN: 9781632866356

Item info:

1 item available

1 item total in all locations

Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
GV425.L36 2018	1	BOOK	AUTOSTORE