The Design Of Childhood: How The Material World Shapes Independent Kids,Used

From Building Blocks To City Blocks, An Eyeopening Exploration Of How Children'S Playthings And Physical Surroundings Affect Their Development.Parents Obsess Over Their Children'S Playdates, Kindergarten Curriculum, And Every Bump And Bruise, But The Toys, Classrooms, Playgrounds, And Neighborhoods Little Ones Engage With Are Just As Important. These Objects And Spaces Encode Decades, Even Centuries Of Changing Ideas About What Makes For Good Childrearingand What Does Not. Do You Choose Wooden Toys, Or Plastic, Or, Increasingly, Digital? What Do Youngsters Lose When Seesaws Are Deemed Too Dangerous And Slides Are Designed Primarily For Safety? How Can The Built Environment Help Children Cultivate Selfreliance? In These Debates, Parents, Educators, And Kids Themselves Are Often Caught In The Middle.Now, Prominent Design Critic Alexandra Lange Reveals The Surprising Histories Behind The Humanmade Elements Of Our Children'S Pintsize Landscape. Her Fascinating Investigation Shows How The Seemingly Innocuous Universe Of Stuff Affects Kids' Behavior, Values, And Health, Often In Subtle Ways. And She Reveals How Years Of Decisions By Toymakers, Architects, And Urban Planners Have Helpedand Hinderedamerican Youngsters' Journeys Toward Independence. Seen Through Lange'S Eyes, Everything From The Sandbox To The Street Becomes Vibrant With Buried Meaning. The Design Of Childhood Will Change The Way You View Your Children'S Worldand Your Own.