A Global Perspective on Indoor Playing Areas and Space Organization in Kindergartens

Play, which occupies most of young children’s lives, is necessary for their healthy growth. Playing areas, by helping children develop physically, psychologically, and sociologically, foster their creativity, problem-solving skills, and social development. Thus, the design of kindergartens including playing areas is important. This article explores the design aspects of kindergarten interior playing areas. It aims to contribute to the design of the global development of inclusive kindergarten and educational environments. Using a qualitative method to analyze specific cases, the study comprehensively reviews kindergarten playing areas, specifically their interior properties. The findings regarding the strategic location of playing areas, architectural characteristics, playground layouts, access points, relationships with other connected spaces, and features are summarized in tables and discussed. It is found that there are considerable differences in the design of kindergartens and the design of interior playing areas is getting more significant.