Architecture Commons^™

Evidence-Based Practices For The Design Of Inclusive Playgrounds That Support Peer Interactions Among Children With All Abilities, Courtney L. Fernelius

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Play is necessary for the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of all children. Although playgrounds are designed to support the play of children, children with disabilities are often unable to fully participate in play on playgrounds. In part due to the lack of awareness of evidence-based practices supporting the play of children with disabilities, playground designers continue to perpetuate this disparity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the evidence-based practices for inclusive playground design that support peer interaction between children of all abilities, and to demonstrate how they can be implemented into a playground design.

A …

Dramatic Play Affordances Of Natural And Manufactured Outdoor Settings For Preschool-Aged Children, Kimberly K. Cloward Drown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Concern for child wellness has led play professionals to explore natural playscapes as a means to enhance free play and consequently child development. For preschool children, dramatic or make-believe play is particularly beneficial for enhancing cognitive, social, and emotional skill. Dramatic play in collaboration with other children (sociodramatic play) and, surpassing that, complex socio-dramatic play (group make-believe with a sustained theme that uses sophisticated symbolism) are most valuable for development.

This study compared natural and manufactured outdoor play settings to determine which provided the most opportunity for quality dramatic play. Twenty-four 3- to 5- year olds were observed during daily …

Therapy Gardens Healing Environments For Children, Suzanne L. Kohlmeyer

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Valley Mental Health is located in Salt Lake City, UT and is a metropolitan Community Mental Health Center serving Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties. They serve about 6,000 children with mental health problems per year, most of whom are at or below poverty level. Ann Foster the Director of the Children's Services at Valley Mental Health, approached the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University for the aid in developing an inner courtyard into a therapeutic garden for their Children's Outpatient Clinic. The inner courtyard would be available to children who are receiving therapy at …