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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Top 10 Mistakes, Revisited

Some things never change. Two excellent examples are the top 10 mistakes made in designing interiors of child care centers and the top 10 mistakes made in designing natural playgrounds. If you're considering designing either one, don't miss these brief but crucial articles.

We were recently contacted by a colleague from Australia who noticed we had removed the articles below from our website. She thanked us for all of our resources, so as a favor to her, we are printing these two short articles again. The articles were first printed in 2001, before the newsletter went electronic. We believe the top 10 mistakes made in designing child care facility interiors and in creating naturalized playgrounds have not changed.

Top 10 Mistakes Made in the Interior Design of Child Care Centers

1. Not involving teachers, parents and children in the design process.
2. Not exceeding licensing standards for square footage requirements that are minimal in every state.
3. Not having an architect or designer with comprehensive knowledge of children and design.
4. Not allowing enough time for the design process.
5. Following adult standards from the Americans with Disabilities Act rather than using the ADA children's standards.
6. Not paying attention to acoustics in the design of the interior space.
7. Putting so much money into the exterior design that you have to scrimp and save on the interior finishes -- which should be high quality for children’s use.
8. Finishing the interior space plan before paying attention to its relationship with the outdoor play space.
9. Choosing designs and materials that are more institutional than residential in feel.
10. Creating the interior space without consideration of the furniture and equipment that goes in each room.

Top 10 Mistakes in the Design of Natural Playgrounds

1. Not following the ADA guidelines of outdoor spaces, which apply to naturalized areas that are new or under renovation.
2. Not choosing a designer or consultant for your outdoor space.
3. Choosing equipment that does not meet developmental needs.
4. Not putting enough shade trees, hiding bushes and plants for sensory play in the outdoor space.
5. Creating spaces that meet children’s gross motor skills needs only, while ignoring all of their other intelligences.
6. Creating flat and undefined spaces, rather than segregated areas for different types of outdoor play.
7. Putting too much money into the climbing equipment while ignoring other types of play.
8. Not considering storage needs for the outdoor area.
9. Not involving teachers, parents and children in the design process.
10. Under-budgeting for the outdoor space project.

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