As a staff, we are continuously exploring our Umbrella Topic, “How do children-in-residence encounter deCordova?”
During our research we have noticed that children need a playful interaction to fully embrace a particular experience, space, or entity. They connect more deeply when they explore these spaces on their own terms thereby making personal connections.
In our quest to find a space to call our own, we in Studio Yellow have explored many corners of the sculpture park, frequently returning to one special place under the tall pines. Here it seems imaginations have no boundaries. It’s a place full of “do’s” rather than “do nots.” We can touch, climb, haul, gather and hide and the children delight in the pleasure of it all.
The children are building a relationship with this space, which has quickly become a named destination. “Are we going to the wood chip piles?” is a question often asked with great anticipation.
It appears we have discovered “our place” in the sculpture park. We will continue to return to this new space, watching as children engage with their whole bodies, through all their senses, in small and large groups. We will bring our own questions, curious as to how the children will interact with it as the seasons and in turn its landscape slowly changes.
What holds their interest in this space?
How do the children move?
What are they noticing?
How do environmental sounds influence their experiences?
What makes this space a destination place?
How are children creating a sense of ownership?
