Thursday, December 4, 2008

More from Helle Nebelong

"Colour in playgrounds...needs careful control and should be used in small splashes.
“A common misunderstanding is that everything in the playground must be in bright
colour. But after hours of colour saturation in day-care centres, watching TV and
shopping with parents in supermarkets, they need to relax their eyes and minds.”


"I am convinced that ‘risk-free’, standardised playgrounds are dangerous – just in another way from those with obvious risks. When the distance between all the rungs in a climbing net
or a ladder is exactly the same, the child has no need to concentrate on where he puts his feet. Standardisation is dangerous because play becomes simplified and the child does not have to worry about his movements. This does not prepare him for all the knobby and asymmetrical forms he is likely to be confronted with outside the playground and throughout life.
The ability to concentrate on estimating distance, height and risk, for example, requires a lot of practice and is necessary for a person to be able to cope successfully with life.

from two articles about Helen's work, here and here.

No photos were available, but be sure to peruse this article about the Geelsgaard School garden for special needs children.

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