No walls or boundaries: Is THIS the best Kindergarten in the world?
Introducing the best playschool in the world.
Residing in Tokyo, Japan, the playschool, catering to hundreds of children is completely circular. The classrooms are fully open to the inside courtyard as well as a fully accessible roof where the children can run and play.
Architect Takaharu Tezuka explains in a TED talk why circles were so important to the construction of the school.
"If you are a parent, you will know that children love making circles."
He advocates for a healthy does of danger in children's lives. The children are drawn to the height, he explains, they always sit on the edge of the roof.
"We made the roof as low as possible, because we wanted to see children on top of the roof."
In this playschool, there are no boundaries, not even between classrooms. That's the way it should be, according to Tezuka.
"Why do we put so many children in their quiet boxes? This makes some children very nervous. But in this kindergarten there is no need to get nervous, because they have no boundaries.
"If the boy in the corner doesn't want to stay in the room, you let him go. He will come back eventually, because it's a circle- he has to come back."
Like the childhood attraction to circles, coming back into the classroom is a natural process. The child has no where to hide in the open courtyard.
As well as prioritising children's need for space and freedom, Tezuka is also embracing the importance of noise.
"Noise is very important. Children sleep better in noise, most of them cannot sleep in quiet spaces.
"In this kindergarten, these children also show amazing concentration in class."
Nature and the outdoors are extremely important components of this school. Mature tress sprout up through the roof and each classroom is filled with natural light from skylights.
"People don't melt in the rain. Children were meant to be outside, so this is how we should treat them."
Playing outside comes with it's knocks and bumps, but this freedom is exactly what children need.
"These days, kids need small dosage of danger. In these occasions is when they learn to help each other. These are the kinds of opportunities we are losing these days."
As well as learning teamwork and communication through outdoor play, the children also have the "highest athletic abilities among many kindergartens"
This could come as a surprise as the children don't have any scheduled sports time, they are simply left to their own devices on the roof.
"My point is, don't control them," Tezuka concludes. "Don't protect them too much. They need to tumble sometimes, they need to get some injuries. And that teaches them how to live in this world."
What do you think? Could this possibly be the best kindergarten in the world?