Selecting features
The four types of discovery play—motor skills development, sensory stimulation, action-reaction interactions, and collaboration—are cultivated through the appropriate feature selection and combinations within each play zone.
Motor skills development occurs in a play environment that encourages toddlers to develop co-ordination and test their abilities. These include, for example, low-to-the-ground play features that little ones can manipulate predictable water patterns and multiple textures.
Engaging children’s senses of touch, sight, and sound evokes imaginative play, leading to emotional and social growth. The sounds of splashing and flowing water can be supplemented with features that are noise-interactive, making sounds from musical notes to animal calls. Visual stimuli such as theming, water patterns, reflections, translucent effects, and light refraction create even more interest for all ages.
In this regard, it is important to consider the level of sensory stimulation for the intended age group. For instance, toddlers may be overwhelmed in a play area that stimulates all the senses at once, whereas this may be more effective for older children.
Cause and effect learning environments help children to develop intention and discover causal relationships. Using activators and park sequencing lets kids direct the water play and keeps them guessing as to which features will be activated and in what order. Features that allow children to redirect or control the flow of water also help them explore action-reaction functions.
