Vol. I, No. 3, June 2002
CREATING A PLACE OF PRIVACY FOR CHILDREN
Many children in group care spend the majority of their day in the company of other children and adults. Because staff focus on supervision and ready access to children, a child's sense of privacy is often overlooked. However, like adults, children need time and a space to be alone.
Indoors, widow seats, platforms, cubbyholes and small enclosures provide ideal spots to get away from it all. Outdoors, bushes, trees, lean-tos and spaces under climbing structures can all be used to create privacy for children. Certain design tactics can be used to create a balance between the staff's need for supervision and a child's need for privacy.