1.3 Ko plays in the park
In the following video, a different child (Ko) is in a different environment. Ko is 9 months old and has been taken to the park by his mum.
Activity 1 Playing in the park
Watch the video and then answer the questions which follow. Add notes to your Learning journey or the text box below.
Transcript
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: Hello. How are you, baby?
SPEAKER 2: This is Ko. His mum's home language is Japanese. And she also speaks English. They don't have a garden, but mum takes him out every day. And today, they go to the park. It's a nice day, and he sleeps soundly outside. Mum makes sure he doesn't get too much sun. Waking up gently, there's lots to see. He sits quietly, taking in his surroundings.
SPEAKER 1: [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
SPEAKER 2: It's time to act, and he feels the grass, and looks from his hand and the close-up details, then to the distance. His vision and focusing is now nearly as clear as an adult's. And because of the varied visual experience he's had, he has a rich 3D view of the world.
SPEAKER 1: [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
SPEAKER 2: Mum turns his activity into a physical game.
SPEAKER 1: (SINGING) Row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
SPEAKER 2: Babies have an innate interest in rhythm and musicality. And Ko loves this song and is familiar with it.
SPEAKER 1: (SINGING) Gently down the stream.
SPEAKER 2: Mum builds up the suspense, and Ko knows what will happen next. He laughs before it happens, [BABY LAUGHS] really enjoying the suspense.
SPEAKER 1: [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
SPEAKER 2: Ko loves this more boisterous play. These kinds of physical movements have far-reaching effects on the brain. It's this kind of play that really stimulates his vestibular sense, his sense of motion and position, and his proprioceptive sense, his sense of body awareness. To develop his proprioceptive sense, stretches out, he feels the position and pressure of his limbs on the grass, experiencing how his muscles feel when they're active.
SPEAKER 1: [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
SPEAKER 2: Ko has recently learned to crawl. He's very pleased. It's a big development for him. His proprioceptive and vestibular sensors are both stimulated as well as his ability to focus quickly from his hands to the distance.
- How would you describe the ‘affordances’ for Ko in the park environment?
- Which of the activities he spends time doing in this video could happen in any outdoor environment?
- How important do you think the natural features are within the environment (grass, trees, wildlife) to his learning and development?
Comment
Parks are a commonly used resource for families and settings. While any outdoor environment (including a shopping street for example) might offer exposure to the weather and a connection to the wider world, this video illustrates how the natural features of a park environment can offer particular affordances for a young child.
The grass is comfortable to sit on and explore. There are trees that offer shade and move in the wind. There are birds, plants, and animals to fascinate.
The concept of affordances helps the adult to understand the characteristics of an environment AND those of the child. Probably, he could engage in the same activities elsewhere but the park perhaps offers a greater variety of plants, animals and birds; it certainly provides a sense of space and horizons that may not be so evident elsewhere.