Maria V. Sokolova

The idea of open kindergarten in Germany appeared in 1980. After analyzing the educational system scientists and teachers concluded that it significantly limits the space of a child’s life in different areas. The theoretical basis of the new method developed by the German scientist-educator Alex Wieland and professional advisor Gerhard Regel. After a thorough scientific and methodological elaboration, a new organization of life of kindergarten has been widely discussed and received support from teachers, nursery workers and parents. Currently, open kindergartens operate successfully in Germany, particularly in Bavaria, where the authors were able to visit two such kindergartens. This article describes the basic features of educational process in open kindergartens: the organization of working supplies, the regime of the day, teacher training, etc. In conclusion, the comparative analysis of the Russian system of preschool education and the system provided in the frame of open kindergartens in Germany is given.

The past decade brought our country substantial economical, political and social changes, which inevitably affected the nature of preschool childhood. Most of them resulted from government’s policy change towards preschool education, namely disbandment of Ministry of Education’s Preschool Department, transference of preschool education under the control of municipal authorities, revision of age thresholds of primary education, introduction of preschool preparation for children of 5 years of age and other innovations. This article explores the ways in which all these changes affected parent-preschooler relations.

It’s not been long since major children’s activities were playing, drawing, modeling and listening to stories. Cartoons were, of course, a part of children’s lives, however the average time spent watching them was 3–5 hours a week, which constitutes about 5% of a free time or the recommended by the World Health Organization 30 minutes a day for preschoolers. Watching cartoons was an anticipated activity, an important event.

The questions raised in this article are what modern American and Japanese cartoons give the children? What children are paying attention to, who are their heroes? The answers are obtained through viewing modern cartoons from the standpoint of their psychological influence on a child’s development. Results of studies and observations of preschool children have shown that watching cartoons is a “thing in itself” – watching for the sake of watching. The seen and the heard don’t instigate emotional interpretation and, ultimately, interiorization – acquirement of the cultural experience.

The paper studies parents’ notions of their preschool children’s gaming environment. Particular attention is paid to the content of the home gaming environment and to the place of child’s play in the structure of family leisure time. The selection of toys that is common in a child’s room is analyzed, and children’s preferences in playing with them are described. To enrich child play and children’s development, the parental knowledge of their children’s favorite games and toys is studied. It is shown that the presence of a large number of toys in the play rooms of Russian children is excessive. In this regard, the article emphasizes the role of an adult as the organizer of the child role play, where toys serve as developmental tools. It is specifically noted that the organization of playing space in children’s room has a strong influence on development of their play, activity and on development of creativity.

The last few years have seen Monster High dolls become one of the most popular and controversial toys. Based on the results of a specific empirical study the authors of the article attempt to find out why these dolls are so popular and what children see and what they fail to see in them and how preschool and younger school age girls play with these dolls. The study involved 245 parents and 50 girls in two age groups: 6-7 and 8-9 years. The adults completed the questionnaire which evaluated these dolls’ basic qualities. The children were involved in individual conversations in which each of the girls was asked the same questions. The children’s drawings depicting these dolls and the way they played with them were analyzed. The children’s and adults’ assessment of the dolls’ different qualities made it possible to register an obvious generational gap: what children perceive as being perfect is regarded by adults as being ugly and revolting. The children’s drawings suggest that Monster High dolls are perceived by them as “standards of beauty.” Most of the girls prefer these dolls to traditional ones. Watching the children play with these girls showed its essential part to be defined not so much by the toys’ image as by the general context of a child’s life: when using these dolls children play out most varied stories that reflect their personal experience. The article concludes by discussing the results of the study and possible risks these toys carry for preschoolers.

Background. The trends of developing child friendly urban environment result in designing of play areas in places which are not specifically made for children: train stations, cafes, shopping centers, etc. The design of such places requires research of children’s behavior, understanding and experience of using play equipment and materials. This article deals with children’s play spaces in trains and at railway stations in Moscow.

The purpose of the study is to highlight the principles of organizing play environment and equipment at train stations, airports, in trains.

Play spaces at the railway stations and toy`s sets for kids in trains were analyzed according to the basis criteria of the examination of play spaces and toys. Based on the data obtained, the principles of organizing space were proposed, taking into account the special conditions in traveling (a large number of people, rush, small space, children of different ages, etc.).

Research results. The study showed that play spaces at railway stations are unsuitable for children’s age needs: they are like copies of typical street playgrounds, include the same equipment, designed for kids aged just 2-5 years and mostly for movement and not for the role play. In trains play spaces are better adapted for cognitive and productive activities of children, while play and motor activity are ignored. Play sets are also designed for age 3-6 and require significant changing. This analysis allows us to identify 3 key principles of organizing children’s space in trips. Creating a children’s space, it is necessary to consider the duration of trips, the capacity and possibility of a place, age specific of play, speech and other activities of children. It is also important to focus on the features of age and remember that adults are the mandatory companions of the child in traveling. This study can serve as a basis for a more detailed and large-scale study of the issue of children’s spaces, as well as a general guideline for evaluating and designing such play spaces.