Vol. I, No. 6, November 2002
FLEXIBILITY & DESIGN
The importance of flexibility is best understood by looking at the knowledge of how children learn-through active "hands-on" interaction with the world around them. When children's environments are structured and static, too many opportunities are lost for experimentation. Children's environments should be viewed as settings they can manipulate and change in response to their changing developmental needs. When making design decisions, it is important to think about the effect of that decision on the entire space. Think of the entire setting, both the indoors and the outdoor space, as a total unit, with the outdoor play yard as an extension of the indoor area and vice versa. Children need ways in which to change and act upon their environment.