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38  TOPIC 3 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS
many ways. The issues discussed include infantsÊ and toddlersÊ space, the importance of touch and movement in the infantsÊ and toddlersÊ environment, and the differences between floor plans for infants and toddlers.
INFANT AND TODDLER SPACE
Now let us look at infant and toddler space but first let us find out what the definition is.
The space for infant and toddler needs to be developmentally appropriate, comfortable, safe, healthy, supportive and stimulating. Infants and toddlers are highly sensitive to appearance and they require a lot of stimulating experiences in the form of movements during their early development years. In fact, Piaget believes that infants and toddlers in the sensory stage of development require space with a lot of basic motor skills and sensory experiences. At this stage, they are prone to sensory behaviour. They love to use their mouth, skin, eyes, ears and muscles to exploring their surroundings and the things around them.
Similarly, the cognitive development of infants and toddlers is optimised when they are assisted through a supportive environment. It helps them to make predictions about events, objects and people around them. Such predictability is clearly related to the characteristics, organisation and design of space in which they are cared for or grow. Infants and toddlers experience the environment around them by seeing, hearing, feeling, touching and moving around. Therefore, the best design of such a space should provide frequent opportunities for them to learn and control their body in space using their five senses. This space should have stimulating sensory inputs which contain a large variety of manipulative objects, and a variety of textured crawling or moving surfaces.
3.1.1 Engaging Spaces for Infants and Toddlers
In early childhood settings, it is very important to provide spaces that allow infants and toddlers to engage and interact with a wide variety of developmentally appropriate materials. This engagement should stimulate infants and toddlers to demonstrate greater interest in movements and to reach for objects around them. A home-like space with features such as sofa, carpet, soft cushions and developmentally appropriate play materials with various
3.1
Infant and toddler space is the environment that is developmentally appropriate, comfortable, safe, healthy, supportive and stimulating for infants and toddlers.
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