This study explored caregivers' views on play and play areas in Salvokop, Tshwane. Specific focus was placed on children's play, play between caregiver and child, and the importance of play spaces. Five relevant categories were identified for investigation including biographical details, the child in early childhood, caregivers' opinions on play, play between caregiver and child, and public play areas. The research methodology for this study was clearly defined and outlined where a qualitative research approach was utilised with a semi-structured interview schedule as data-collection method. The literature chapter focused on early childhood, theoretical perspectives on play, defining play, the advantages of play, as well as play between parents and child and the importance of public play areas. Research findings for this qualitative study were presented using tables which were fully discussed in the study in order to describe caregivers' views on play, play between caregiver and child, and play areas. Research findings showed that not all caregivers are aware of the importance of play for child development and do not consider play on its own as the most important activity during early childhood, yet caregivers indicate that their children spend most of their time playing. The types of play that children engage in have numerous advantages and are more varied than what caregivers deem important. Caregivers believe that children need long periods of play on a daily basis and most children do actually play for long periods every day. Children in this study also participate in more physical activity than children in some developed countries. Children have uninterrupted time to play where they are not hurried or directed by anyone. Caregivers play with their children and enjoy different types of play with their children. However, there is a lack of physical play between caregivers and children. There is no public play area in Salvokop but caregivers would like to have a public play area and indicate that their children will make use of a public play area extensively. Finally, conclusions and recommendations were made following the key findings for this study. The research question for this study was fully answered in that the empirical investigation provided a comprehensive reflection of caregiver's views on play and play areas. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Play is not only essential to child development but for human development. Therefore, it was important to study caregivers' views of play as they impact the amount of play that takes place in their child's life. As part of a group research project, the researcher, who is a social worker by profession and is studying through the University of Pretoria, explored the views of caregivers on play. Play may have transformed and evolved over time and will continue to transform; play may mean something completely different in different contexts, which was explored further, but the important thing is that children should still be provided with the opportunity to play, no matter how it is defined. Thus, to explore these evolving views of play the researcher conducted a study into caregivers' views on play and play areas, specifically within the Durban City Centre, eThekwini District. The study followed a qualitative research approach, where detailed descriptions were gathered from caregivers on their views of play and play areas, within the context of Durban city centre. Caregivers' views on play and play areas within Durban were explored using applied research as the appropriate type of research. The most effective method of gathering information regarding the views of caregivers on play and play areas was the collective case study research design, which was utilised. Interviews, specifically semi-structured interviews were used as the method of data collection. The focus of these interviews was to gather more detailed, personal and in depth information. Purposive, non-probability sampling was utilised within this study, as the entire population was and is still unknown to the researcher. The goals and objectives of the study were to theoretically contextualise the role of play in the lives of children in early childhood. To explore and describe caregivers' views on play in the lives of their children and explore and describe how and whether caregivers engage with their children in play. To explore and describe caregivers' views of the availability and utilisation of public play areas for their children. Finally, the last objective was to raise awareness among caregivers, professionals and local authorities on the value of play and access to play areas through conclusions and recommendations of this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data gathered was analysed. The researcher identified four themes, with subthemes. These themes focused on the views that caregivers' have regarding play in the lives of their children. Caregiver's involvement in this play was also examined. Influences of caregiver's culture and own upbringing on these views surrounding play were another theme. Public play spaces were a focus within this study, examining who had access to a public play space and what factors encourage usage. Recommendations were given by the caregivers on how to make public play spaces more effective and useful to the community. From the findings of the study, the researcher identified several recommendations that could be given to professionals that deal with caregivers, recommendations to municipalities and local governments and finally for future research. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

The schoolyard, an area that is used continuously during the day by teachers and students, becomes a natural area for students to form social relationships and activate themselves outside the classroom. The schoolyard's possibilities to create these relationships and activities is directly connected to how it is designed. This study deals with these possibilities and after-school educare teachers' perception of the schoolyard as a play area and the students' tendencies regarding the use of its various spaces. Previous research shows that varied spaces with directly intended purposes have an inspiring effect on students' play. The philosopher Henri Lefebvre writes about three dimensions of space, the materially perceived, the imagined, and the lived. The study uses these to form an idea of after-school teachers' and students' opportunities in the schoolyard. Semi-structured interviews with after-school educare teachers were carried out to find out their view of the schoolyard, taking into account the students' social relations, motor development and educational purpose. Also observations of the students' stay in the schoolyard were made to answer the study's research questions. The results show that after-school educare teachers want greater opportunities to use the schoolyard as a space for didactic work, with varying play spaces. It also shows that after-school educare teachers' approach has an important role in the students' social relations and motor development in the schoolyard. The discussion includes the spatial dimensions in relation to the students' social relationships and motor development in the schoolyard. In addition, it is discussed in relation to the schoolyard for educational purposes.

Un hospital Oncológico pediátrico es un Establecimiento de salud de III grado de complejidad, MINSA (2011) Está definido por un programa arquitectónico y servicios que brinda el proyecto: prevención, información y tratamiento de tipos de cáncer que padecen niños de 0 a 14 años. El propósito de este tema fue de evidenciar la necesidad de contar con un hospital oncológico pediátrico en la capital, para tratar correctamente a los niños que padecen enfermedades oncológicas; ya que en la actualidad no se cuentan con espacios adecuados para el tratamiento oportuno de estos usuarios, lo que ocasiona una tasa de mortalidad alta, a pesar de ser el grupo con mayor tasa de recuperación dentro de estas enfermedades. Mediante el uso de cromoterapia, que es la sanación física y mental mediante el uso de color, se quiere aportar un elemento adicional al diseño arquitectónico del proyecto, que se refleje en cada espacio, como la quimioterapia. Este énfasis ha sido probado con efectividad en diferentes hospitales similares en todo el mundo. Los cuales se detallan en este documento; son: Hospital Infantil de la Teletón - Querétaro, México; Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital - Brisbane, Australia; centro Buerguer para Cuidados Intensivos - Filadelfia, Estados Unidos; Nemours Children’s Hospital - Orlando, Estados Unidos; y el Evelina Children’s Hospital - Londres, Inglaterra. El proyecto de tesis se rige bajo los parámetros del Ministerio de Salud en cuanto a programa arquitectónico y dimensiones de cada ambiente. Contando con áreas lúdicas y espacios de encuentro como eje principal de diseño. / A pediatric cancer hospital is a health facility of III degree of complexity, MINSA (2011) It is defined by an architectural program and services provided by the project: prevention, information and treatment of cancers suffered by children from 0 to 14 years old. The purpose of this topic was to demonstrate the need to have a pediatric cancer hospital in the capital, to correctly treat children suffering from cancer diseases; since at present there are no adequate spaces for the timely treatment of these users, which causes a high mortality rate, despite being the group with the highest recovery rate within these diseases. Through the use of chromotherapy, which is physical and mental healing through the use of color, we want to add an additional element to the architectural design of the project, which is reflected in each space, such as chemotherapy. This emphasis has been tested effectively in different similar hospitals around the world. Which are detailed in this document; They are: Hospital Infantil de la Teletón - Querétaro, Mexico; Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital - Brisbane, Australia; Buerguer Center for Intensive Care - Philadelphia, United States; Nemours Children’s Hospital - Orlando, United States; and the Evelina Children’s Hospital - London, England. The thesis project is governed by the parameters of the Ministry of Health in terms of architectural program and dimensions of each environment. Counting on recreational areas and meeting spaces as the main design axis. / Tesis

The study draws on theories of society, learning, planning and design, democracy, identity formation, and cultural change to inquire into children’s participation in the social sphere. The thesis emerges from the growing literature in the sociological and educational study of childhood, identity, space and culture. A case study approach, using a variety of participatory methods and photographic visual evidence, is employed to investigate the substantive issue of children’s participation in changing their locales in a contemporary Scottish context. Two main cases are narrated: the first concerns primary school children’s experience in participating in changing school grounds throughout Scotland; the second details the experience of one local authority’s efforts to enhance public play provision for children with disabilities. Local socio-cultural / spatial practices used in the construction of children’s participation and their places of learning, work, and play are described. Children are found to be ‘positioned’ between adult desires to increase children’s participation in matters that affect them, while at the same time, adults may wish to protect children from perceived dangers. The context for children’s participation takes cognisance of the influences of schooling, the exclusion of children from the workplace, as well as the influences of technology, the media, and the changes in family make-up. One central finding of the thesis is that children’s experience of participation appeared to be constructed out of ‘essential beliefs’ about the relations between children and adults, the nature of the child and the child’s ‘place’ in society.