Development of Play Area for Children at the Mall in Leicester - Essay Example

?Project Development of Play Area for Children at Highcross Mall in Leicester Context: The Highcross shopping centre in Leicester, is one of the most diverse and beautifully built multi-purpose shopping spaces in Leicester. The shopping centre contains excellent diverse shops selling items for both adults and children. It also has restaurants of different European roots as well as one of the biggest cinemas in the city of Leicester. Although all these facilities exist within the Highcross, the centre does not have a creche designated for children. This paper is an attempt to lay an exhaustive report on the proposal to form a play centre to be housed within the shopping mall. The creative ideas and innovative designing of play centre are discussed in detail to land on a conclusion that an effectively designed play centre at Highcross Leicester would certainly attract more and more number of parents enclosed by their kids to the shopping mall, the sales graph of which has the chance of ever going up. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction… … … … … … … … … 4 Problem… … … … … … … … … … 4 Aims and Objectives… … … … … … … … 5 Methods… … … … … … … … … … 5 Business Plan… … … … … … … … … 6 Time-frame… … … … … … … … … … 11 Possible constraints… … … … … … … … … 12 Outcome/Discussion… … … … … … … … 12 Conclusion… … … … … … … … … … 16 Introduction: Customised childcare in UK was very poor two decades ago. When compared to other European countries and Western side of the Globe, UK’s child care systems were low in intensity. Mothers of UK found the period between childbirth and schooling too long to sustain especially when they happened to be employees. Lack of state and private initiatives to find out alternative childcare systems were ascribed to their opting part-time employment rather than full-time jobs. However, internal and external influences have paved way for emergence of a series of childcare legislations in the final decade of 20th Century. The years that followed Childcare Act 2006 saw a leap in childcare development. The Brighton and Hove City council has recently published in February 2010 an updated information sheet ‘Running a Creche’ in which a clear definition of creches is envisaged. It reads: - facilities which provide occasional care for children under eight and which are provided on particular premises on more than five days a year. They need to be registered where they run for more than two hours a day, even when individual children attend for shorter periods. Some are in permanent premises and care for children while parents are engaged in particular activities, eg, shopping or sport. Others are established on a temporary basis to care for children while their parents are engaged in time-limited activities, eg, a conference or exhibition. Problem: Our aim of designing a play space inside the shopping Mall at Leicester, UK should never be considered as an easing knack for parents in their busy schedules of shopping and other activities so that they can lessen the burden of their childcare activities. Instead, the play area is to be designed in such a way it nourishes creativity among kids. Aim and Objectives: The purpose of this report is to investigate and analyse information in connection with formation of a creche in the busiest shopping centre in Leicester. Although a play zone in a shopping Mall in which the ‘play’ serves a subsidiary (Sarah and Valentine, 2009, p.89) and supporting function, our aim in this study is to evolve a method/ design of creche with creative elements so that parents’ responsibility of robust childcare is shouldered. The chief predictors in this endeavour are obtaining valid permission from authorities and ensuring a considerably greater natural environmental design. Methods: The method in gathering information to plan and implement this project included primary and secondary research. The primary research included visiting the centre, interviewing, and surveying shoppers in order to gather first hand information. Secondary research involved conducting a literature review to provide information on what other shopping centres have done to create such a space. Twenty residents from the surroundings of Leicester are picked and provided with a questionnaire. The responses received are analysed. The locations of the residents were so selected that they are from all the directions around Leicester. The following questionnaire is framed with 13 questions to evaluate the expectation levels of parents. The names and income details were used only for filing and analytical purpose. Assurance to maintain privacy of the respondents was given in writing. Questionnaire 1. Name: 2. Age: 3. Both the parents are employed a) Yes b) No 4. Sex: a) Male b) Female 5. Annual Family Income: a) less than ?5200 b) more than ?5200 6. Number of children a) one b) two c) more than two 7. Distance to currently available play space from home a) less than 10 kms b) more than 10 kms 8. Children belong to two groups: a) below 3 b) 3-5years c) 5-7 years 9. Food and drinks are to be compulsorily supplied to kids a) Yes b) No c) Not obligatory 10. Open space and makeshift jungle is preferred a) Yes b) No 11. Structural play frames are required a) Yes b) No 12. Safety concern is the most needed criterion a) Yes b) No 13. Special care and separate area for toddlers needed a) Yes b) No Business Plan: The order of the planning and implementation of this project would include at least the following schedule of work: 1. Finding a strategic location within the shopping centre. The location earmarked for the play zone conforms to the stipulation of Department for Communities and Local Governments1, Great Britain. The central portion of the shopping mall through which all the visitors must exit is shared for our play zone. The stipulation reads: The childcare facility should be sited at the same level as the parents or the guardians are on the route to the final exit. It insists that parents travelling against the normal direction of escape (p.68) on hearing the emergency alarm are avoided. National Health and Safety Performance Standards has stipulated a minimum of 35 square feet per child for indoor play zone. This area is exclusive of kitchen, bathrooms and toilets. We can estimate some 20-30 kids at a time to occupy the creche. Therefore, minimum 1500 feet2 is required for establishing the play zone inside the shopping complex. 2. Estimating the cost of the project and eventual turnover. 3. Presenting our plan to the City Council of Leicester in order to gain permission. 4. Developing a workforce of both men and women in the implementation of the project If the standards of the Board of Education (Treveliyan J.P, p.149) are taken as the yardstick for the staffing purpose in the play centre, we have to compulsorily engage one paid worker under the supervision of a trained manager. These two staff becomes mandatory to run the play centre apart from engaging any volunteers. The role of a play worker, in a supervised play setting (Bonel and Lindon, 2000, pp.15) is analogous to that of parents in providing a home-environment, letting the children to play at their own free will. 5. Dividing the project into its it appropriate two phases During the planning phase, the project is to be well thought of in several aspects foreseeing multi-angular developments and bottle-necks. The outcome of planning activities, specify the tasks to be done (Russell .L, 2007, pp.28) and the people assigned to each task. Essentially, it is the project schedule. In the execution phase, a careful observation is mandatory. Pricing is one of the chief criterions in this phase. Many play centres follow different modalities to attract clients. The tariff structures framed by many are prone to modifications at various levels. Usually, commercial play centres resort to frequent offering of attractive products to keep the client-spectrum purely in their visibility. The Discovery Zone (Davis S.G, 2003, pp.166) of England offering free entrance for adults under a charge of ?4-4 ? per child is one of the pricing techniques. As our proposal of play centre is going to be within the shopping mall, it would affect the sales in its larger sense of the mall, if we specifically charge for adults. Although none will challenge our pricing on child basis to enter the play zone, we can think of a strange way of price offer. Kids of age range 3-5 years need not be charged, when their siblings/friends at the age range 5 and above accompany them. However, the charges for smaller kids should be seen that it do not irk the parents. 6. Procuring the appropriate and safe materials for the construction and furnishing of the space including toys for the children Since children are more sensitive than adults are to environmental contaminants and since most of the children in any geographic location, spend most of their time indoor, risk assessments (Silvers .A et al, 2006) should focus on indoor and on-site hazards. Attention to play materials is one of the most important criterions in play zone designing. Children of age group less than five would normally be encouraged to play with blocks. Wellhousen and Kieff (2001: p.78) have elegantly put forth the following aspects to be meticulously followed in selecting block materials for play by kids below age five. a) Blocks or construction toys should not have strings or ribbons longer than 10 inches. This is to avoid possible entanglement and chocking. b) Blocks and toys should be made of sturdy nontoxic and non-flammable materials, which will not break easily or disintegrate on washing. Wood, metal, dense foam and high impact plastics are good choices. c) Construction toys must be with rounded edges to avoid injuries. d) The toys and blocks should be more than 1 inch in diameter so that accidental or playful insertion into mouth and nose is hampered. e) Squeakers should be inbuilt in the toys or blocks to prevent hazard out of chocking. 7. Developing space for snack close to the play area Provision of food at play centres for children is not an easy job. Apart from providing generally moving items like pizzas, cakes and sweets at the snack bar, items of individualised children’s taste and interest must be included. Feedback from parents in this regard would be much useful in attracting healthcare interested parents. Snack are arranged to be prepared at kitchen away from the centre and the snack bar is proposed to be used only as a vending place. 8. Ensuring the necessary facilities such as toilets and first aid are in place Ensuring essential facilities include provision for toilets at appropriate place for children. Guidelines issued in respect of schools hold good as far play zones are concerned. Easy accessibility to lavatories for children from the play area is essential. Partitions designed for privacy of children must also allow permissible supervision by adult carers/parents. Victoria Infant School, Sandwell suggests one cubicle (Pickard Q, 2002, p.16) is large enough for children with physical disabilities. 9. Developing the protocol for dropping off and picking up children from the creche. Necessity for drop off and pick up protocol is relatively less in case of play centres housed inside a shopping mall; because play centres serve the purpose of creche chiefly for adults who visit the mall for their shopping along with their kids. Exclusive visits for play centre are virtually very low. However, the play work staff and the play station administration must have to lay a special eye on the movement of parents. An identity link between parents and children left at play zone must be carefully watched and any abnormal delay in getting back the kid by the parent must be looked into in an emergency tone. Although crying children are not easy to handle in such situations, they help the staff in identifying the parents. On the other hand, playful children pose much difficulty in such circumstances to identify the forgotten/unattended parents/adults. Such types of eventuality are highly remote; however, a final check with parents/adults at the outer exit would mitigate hardship of oblivion on the part of adults – technically not the parents. 10. Developing service such as birthday and other children celebration for a fee. Additional services such as birthday parties and seasonal celebrations are proposed to be sold at affordable price/fee. During birthday parties, very small quantities of surprise gifts are proposed to be handed to the protagonist child for distribution among his/her friends. Even though the monetary value of these surprise gifts are planned to be very small – seemingly paltry – the ‘spot value of surprise’ is expected to attract children to form a solid customer base, because children are spontaneous in nature motivated by internal needs, not merely a reflexive mechanism (Frost J. L, 2010, pp.125) responding to external stimuli. 11. Developing a logo for the creche The play centre in the shopping mall of Highcross Leicester is named “Baby House”. The emblem is painted/inscribed at the entrance of the play zone. Kids are proposed to be invited to participate in a drawing competition aiming to refine the emblem. 12. Developing a simple map to guide parents to the creche A simple sketch showing the location of the play centre and the ways to reach it are displayed at the central part of the complex. To give spot publicity, copies of the sketch/map are hung predominantly in a few stalls and shops with accurate ‘you are here’ fixation. 13. Developing an advertising campaign A strong media based advertisement is underway. In addition to this, wide publicity for the drawing competition previously mentioned is also proposed and is expected to reach children direct. Repeated image advertising (Sutherland and Sylvester, 2008, pp.9-10) is also proposed to be tried. Time frame: It is anticipated that the implementation of this plan will take between 6 to 8 months with possible extension for two months in case of unforeseen circumstances. Possible Constraints: Given the rigorous planning permission process in the United Kingdom, this could be a possible hurdle especially when comes to keeping children in a space located in a relatively large shopping centre like the Highcross Centre. The risk of fire and other unforeseen circumstances could make the acceptance of the planning permission particularly difficult after a series of nationally publicised issues about child’s neglect and abuse. Outcome/DISCUSSION: Young children never like to be mere passive spectators. This is evident from infancy itself. They appear to be spectators; but not so in reality. In fact, they interact with their environment every moment of their life. By way of such interaction, they begin gradually to engage all the five senses in the process of learning. We, the grownups call this interaction of children ‘play’. We normally err in affixing a playful stature to this ‘play’. Although we say that they (kids) play, factually they are living via learning. Child-friendliness of public space is crucial to children’s outdoor play (Jambor and Gils, 2007, pp.72) R.A. Wilson (2008: p.7-8) asserts that the entertainment aspects attached to the indoor play centres in many of the commercialised and computerised environments lack the capability of developing creative play, although these play centres do not pose any harm to the kids. He suggested creation of natural environment would mitigate the ‘de-naturing impact’ of the entertainment play stations. The natural elements and experiences such as trees, birds, water, clouds, sand, eggshells etc and different properties of water, shapes of clouds in the sky, sound of water, bending of branches in the wind, birdbaths and bird feeders are ascertained to develop some important domains of personality – such as adaptive, aesthetic, cognitive, communication, sensorimotor and socioemotional domains – in children. Despite the fact that not all these natural elements can be included in a play zone at a shopping complex, makeshift gardens with natural sunlight would create a sense of urge in children to know more of natural environments. The ‘One o’clock Club’ (Wilkinson, 1980, p.28) model of England is the fittest illustration for our proposal. The features offered in the club can be taken as guiding features in our design. It is chiefly focussed on kids and the parents. However, provision of such energising features free of charge as in the club may be revisited and modulated as per our convenience. Thus, this type of shopping experience would enhance realisation in parents of excursions, picnics and outings to natural environments. There is every possibility for parents and other visitors to give away their suggestions or feedback that may be more innovative to implement, thereby a platform for an open innovation mindset (Michael E. Dorcherty, 2006) could effectively be created. The views of R.F. Mull et al (2009: p.265) in designing an indoor play zone are noteworthy. A secluded administrative space with appropriate viewing capacity and easy access to play zones must be ensured. The recreation facility managers in charge of play zones, who may happen to get involved in the delivery programs and activities, must determine the number of kids in the space at a time. The space should be large enough so that children run and play without congestion and without disturbing other kids. By way of non-hindrance to other kids, the authors elicit a humane approach, in which children with behavioural problems like stress and discomfort wanting loneliness should not be disturbed and the design of the play zone should be focused towards them too. Since children tend to be more constructive in considerably spatial areas to promote the practice of developmentally appropriate skills. Moreover, crowding and congestion are associated with increased risk of developing upper respiratory2 infections. As we design play areas for children in the age range of 3-5 and 5-7, we are to keep in mind the activity level or play level involvement of children according to their age. Our design of play zone should be such that it suits both the groups of children. Children of 3-5 need space for gross motor activity, construction play and dramatic play. Preschool children of 5-7 age group require flat grassy area and hard surfaces (Saracho and Spodek, 2001: p.56) to play games with rules and chase games. It would be nice to have transparent separator between these two zones so that smaller kids would feel a sense of safety and contentment that seniors accompany them. The factors for success of play centres enlisted by G. Torkildsen, (2005: p.214) hold good for our design too. the range of activities and equipments the setting and attractiveness of the play centre. the location and accessibility for regular usage, particularly places that are busy day and evening all year round. the catchment area and the market competition (not just from play centres but also other opportunities for children and families) operational management, pricing and customer service. catering and social elements and party opportunities. facilities and services for parents and adults accompanying children. adjacent or nearby car parking. The analysis of responses of the survey conducted pass the ray of hope that many parents are in favour of forming a play centre at the shopping mall of Highcross at Leicester. Parents of income group below 5200 showed relatively less interest in play centre at the shopping mall, while the higher income group showed much interest in the scheme of introducing indoor play centre at Hi-cross shopping mall. Of the twenty respondents, eighteen were female and seventeen of these population were found to be employees. All the respondents invariably had more than two kids. This is a bright chance for us to introduce the attractive price offer wherein we propose to charge not for toddlers, who are accompanied by grown up kids. The children’s age group represented an even distribution among all the respondents. Thirteen respondents were having kids at the age range of 5-7 years. Parents having toddlers too recorded seventeen; this, once again provides much hope for concessional price offering. Introduction of new products at frequent intervals would create a strong customer base. Regarding supply of food and drinks, all parents were of the similar opinion that they do not restrict any such move. Seventeen respondents gave the reply ‘yes’ and three said ‘no obligatory’. But no one has said ‘no’ to snack stall provision. Similarly, all the twenty parents opted for an open air space and makeshift jungle provision in the indoor play centre. This makes it clear that all the parents are interested in providing a complete and natural outdoor experience to their kids. Structural frames for climbing and playing is opted by fifteen respondents, and five respondents expressed their disinterest for that. Those who revealed disinterest for structural frames were found to have only toddlers. Safety concern has been categorically voted by all the parents to be compulsorily implemented. Five respondents who had only toddlers considered separate areas for toddlers the best. Parents having both toddlers and grown up kids were not showing interest for such separate provision of space for toddlers. The above findings reveal that introduction of an indoor play centre at the shopping mall of Hi-cross at Leicester is welcomed by about 80% of the resident population. Women are found to be keen in having one such centre in a shopping mall. The price concession if advertised and implemented in rational way, the business would certainly shoot both for the play centre and the shopping mall as a whole. Conclusion: The age long fear over stranger-danger (Sarah and Valentine, 2009, p.100-101) scare and interventionist parenting are ascribed to the restriction for children to play outdoors. This trend is slowly getting faded by recent sprouting of play centres offering well-equipped and the safest mode of play atmosphere for children. All concerned have well conceived the usefulness of indoor play centres housed in public space. If this was taken into account, the Highcross will certainly become a much more family oriented centre. This will enable parents to have a couple of hours more to shop or eat a meal peacefully while their children are in a safe and secure place having fun. NPFA (National Playing Fields Association) has reiterated the importance of appreciation of different needs of children at different stages of life before applying the standards (Torkildsen G, 2005, pp.241) for constituting a play centre. Play provisions must necessarily match the ages, abilities and motivations of children. Hence, we have opted to provide facilities for children at the age range of 3 – 7 in two distinct groups of 3-5 and 5-7. The UK economy is still thriving hard to get more out of women workforce. The governments consider childcare as chief barrier in bringing out the maximum potentiality from working women. This concept of barrier has forced many governments to swim against the social current, which sounds that childcare can never be extricated from the women’s domain. However, the on going process of germinating alternative childcare systems has recently enacted Childcare Act 2006 canalising several ways to encourage commercial creches partnered by private concerns. Such encouragement is a boon to commercial world, which is trying to embellish their sales market with childcare focus. Government sponsored creches and day care centres with exclusive focus on child development programs render their services on non-profit or no-loss no-gain formulae while private creches target income group parents by way of shouldering their childcare responsibilities especially during their busy schedules. When regulations formulated by government are adhered to strictly, creches housed in other commercial zones are likely to come up and stand as perennial linchpins. I can recommend two aspects for the steady growth of business in both play centre and the shopping mall as a whole. Firstly, the introduction of pricing concession for toddlers accompanied by grown up children would certainly create a strong customer base. Secondly, provision of quality services to the kid incumbents along with introduction of new products at frequent intervals, like the offering of ‘spot gifts’ during special occasions such as birthdays will surely spread the fragrance of a different indoor play culture in the surroundings. If the proposal to form an indoor play centre at Highcross shopping mall, Leicester and the planning permission are accepted, this could be an exemplary project in the United Kingdom. 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