Journal
Daisies make me smile
Playing with Space is an initiative from Colour Urban Design Limited – a competition and subsequent exhibition during Architecture Week. The aim was to promote better outdoor space in schools through working on creativity by building confidence and self-esteem in the early years of education. The competition invited nursery and primary age children to photograph their favourite space and describe why they liked it. Three sub-regional winners and one technical winner were awarded digital cameras and a large format image for their school. More than £560 was raised from an auction of images, plus complimentary design advice. The overall winner, D-Jay from Crook (aged five) was rewarded by our design practice for enhancement of his school grounds. The concept for the competition evolved from two key stimuli, one personal and one professional. First of all, my eldest son started in reception class at primary school in September 2005, aged four and a half years. At his first parents’ evening after three weeks, my wife and I were solemnly told that there was a real danger that he would be badly left behind if he didn’t improve his recognition of letters. In most of Europe children don’t start to read to the age of seven! The same teacher thought it quite normal for a previously imaginative and fun-loving child to be creating and taking home pictures smeared only in black paint. Discuss this article
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