Author: xiangtong

ABSTRACT Children’s well-being in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is associated with their participation in both planning and assessing ECEC activities. The aim of the study presented here was therefore to explore children’s experiences of participating in different physical environments and activities in ECEC institutions. Quantitative data were collected from structured conversations with 3693 4–6-year-old children using the Norwegian ECEC Well-Being Monitor from 2014 to 2019. Among the results, children’s experiences of participating in ECEC activities were diverse and depended upon the physical environment, although most children experienced higher degrees of participation when outdoors instead of indoors. Furthermore, going hiking and circle time are activities the majority of children have to attend, even if they do not want to. Increased awareness about how children experience opportunities for participating in ECEC activities is important for ECEC institutions and may influence pedagogical thinking and planning in different environments and activities. Introduction Children’s experiences of participating in everyday life are important to promoting their well-being and democratic values (Holte et al. Citation2014; Ree, Alvestad, and Johansson Citation2019). In recognition of that belief, participation is a principle in the Convention of the Rights of the Child (United Nations Citation1989), paragraph 12, formally introduced into Norway and Norwegian ECEC institutions with the Norwegian Kindergarten Act (Ministry of Education and Research Citation2006). Likewise, according to the Norwegian Framework Plan for Kindergartens (Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training Citation2017), children should receive frequent opportunities to participate in both planning and assessing activities in their ECEC institutions. The aim of our study was to explore how children have experienced participation in different physical environments and activities in ECEC institutions in Norway. In Norway, about 90% of 1- to 6-year-old children are enrolled in ECEC institutions, and the majority spend full days there (41–45 h) each week (Statistics Norway Citation2020). Most of Norway’s 5700 ECEC institutions have access to various outdoor environments and natural areas (Lysklett Citation2013; Norwegian Directorate of Education and Training Citation2020; Norwegian Directorate of Health Citation2012; Statistics Norway Citation2020), and children spend 70% of the time outdoors in the summer and 30% in the winter (Moser and Martinsen Citation2010). On a regular day, children engage in various activities, some initiated by themselves (e.g. free play) and some by the staff (e.g. circle time and hiking). Despite the sharpened focus on children’s participation in recent years, it remains necessary to know how well their participation is accommodated in different physical environments and activities in ECEC. After all, how children experience participation in their everyday lives can influence pedagogical thinking and planning in ECEC institutions. Children’s participation in ECEC institutions Participation, called medvirkning in Norwegian, can be defined as a physical and mental space that affords an opportunity for self-expression and interacting with others (Bae et al. Citation2006, 8). The concept of participation encompasses the possibility of being seen and listened to by others as well as the freedom to make decisions (Bratterud, Sandseter, and Seland Citation2012; Holte et al. Citation2014). To ensure that opportunity in ECEC, it is crucial to maintain responsive ECEC staff who listen and understand children’s expressions of interest…

A research article from:NOVA – Norwegian Social Research Thomas Hansen, a researcher at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), a research institute that is part of OsloMet, has conducted research on ageing and quality of life over a period of many years. “There are a number of stereotypes out there about old age that aren’t necessarily true. Growing old isn’t be as bad as it’s made out to be,” he says. In what follows, we’ll look more closely at some of the more stubborn myths surrounding old age. Myth 1: Old people are lonelier than young people “The general public, including old people themselves, have a distorted notion of how lonely older people are. In reality, loneliness is not more common among old people than among younger people, at least up until a certain age,” Hansen explains. People in their late 60’s and early 70’s are not any lonelier than the rest of the population. In fact, the opposite is true. “Loneliness is consistently low well into old age,” Hansen tells us. “A 70-year-old, in fact, is more satisfied with his life than any other age group.” Whether you have children or not matters very little for your quality of life in older age.– Thomas Hansen Later, as people's health declines and they begin to lose people close to them, their levels of satisfaction with their lives begin to decline. Whereas only two out of ten people between the ages of 40 and 75 reporting feeling lonely sometimes or often, nearly four in ten reporting feeling this way after turning 75. “Loneliness is far more common among the oldest segment of the population,” the NOVA researcher explains. “But the loneliness that people report experiencing tends to come and go and not be particularly severe.” Only five to eight per cent of people in all age groups say that they frequently feel lonely or suffer from a more serious form of loneliness. Myth 2: Children are an insurance policy against old age loneliness There is a commonly held belief that having children and grandchildren will help ward off loneliness and depression later in life. The research suggests that this is not the case for older people in western countries like Norway. “Whether you have children or not matters very little for your quality of life in older age. It’s not true that you’re at greater risk of being lonely and depressed without children and grandchildren,” Hansen explains. In the same way older people are not more irritable than younger people, men are no more grumpy than women.– Thomas Hansen In collaboration with colleagues Britt Slagsvold and Torbjørn Moum, Hansen has looked into the role children play in influencing quality of life among people between the ages of 40 and 80. They discovered that having children does not appear to increase quality of life. This applies both to quality of life in general and loneliness more specifically. “This finding is surprising, but it may suggest that it’s day-to-day social interactions that are most important for…

In response to the general direction proposed by the Norwegian Research Institute, our group aims to solve the problem of finding harmonious coexistence between the elderly and children, and enjoying one of the activities, that is, how to maximize the enjoyment and value of the activities we design for the elderly and children. One thing we cannot ignore is that not all elderly people in this world are good at getting along with children, so sometimes we also need to consider the different psychology of children and the elderly in order to better assist our design. Therefore, we need to consider what kind of activity to design next. As students of a design school, we are well aware that a product cannot meet the needs of everyone, nor can it be based on the interpersonal relationships and psychological problems of a large population. This also applies to children. The age range of children in the question is generally 4-6 years old, and children in this age group do not actually have the ability to use a more complex product. Therefore, do we really need a product? The answer is no. Correspondingly, in interpersonal communication, games and activities often play a series of roles such as ice breaking, socializing, and getting along, and this approach also has great appeal to children. Therefore, we hope to design a product. A simple and easy to understand interactive game that is easy to participate in, To solve our problem

Roll the tires Game preparation: several homemade small trees, tire unicycle cars.Gameplay: The children are divided into two groups, and this activity is carried out in two competitions. The children first push the unicycle around the tree. The children in the front put down the car, change the tires and come back around the tree, and pass the tires to the next child. Let's see which group of children finish the race first and wins.Game rules: 1. The car and tires should not touch the tree in the game; 2. Raise your hand as quickly as the winning team reaches the finish line.It means to win. Number of Players:It is mentioned that the children are divided into two groups to carry out this activity. So the number of players should be at least enough to form two groups. For example, if there are at least 3 children in each group, then there would be at least 6 children who can participate in the game. However, there is no specific limit on the exact number of players, which mainly depends on the total number of children participating in the game and the grouping arrangements Estimated Game Time:It's quite difficult to accurately estimate the game time as it is affected by many factors. If the children are skillful and fast in their actions, and the number of children in each group is not large, perhaps a single race could be completed within a few minutes, and the two competitions might take about ten to twenty minutes in total. But if the children are not proficient in operations like changing tires, or if there are a large number of children in each group, then a single race could take more than ten minutes or even longer. In such cases, the two competitions might last for half an hour or even more than an hourRadish squatGame: Invite 5 to 6 children to participate in the game, each person plays a color of radish, line up horizontally, and start the game.Gameplay: If the adult specifies the carrot to squat first, then the carrot will squat, and at the same time recite the secret loudly: "carrot squat, carrot squat, carrot squat after the white radish squat." When the white radish is recited, the white radish recited must immediately begin to squat and recite the mouth at the same time. Such a cycle, until the last person on the court was not eliminated.For the winner.The duration of the "Radish Squat" game can vary depending on the participants' reaction times and familiarity with the game. Generally, it might take around 10 to 20 minutes. Number of Players:As for the number of players, while the description mentions inviting 5 to 6 children to participate, it can actually accommodate a slightly larger or smaller number. It could work well with 4 to 8 people.You throw me to pick it up: Game preparation: Roll waste paper into paper balls and make more than ten or dozens of paper balls and multiple…

Handicrafts Pottery: They can go to a special pottery studio or prepare simple pottery tools at home, such as clay and potter's wheels. The elderly and children can work together to shape various pottery items, such as cups, bowls, and small animals. This can not only improve their practical skills but also inspire their creativity. After making the pottery, they can color it together, and after it dries, it will become a unique piece of work. Woodworking: If conditions and corresponding safety measures permit, some simple woodworking activities can be carried out. For example, small photo frames, bookmarks, and small ornaments can be made from small wooden pieces. The elderly can teach the children some basic woodworking skills, such as sawing wood and sanding, allowing the children to experience the joy of creating with their own hands. Weaving: Use wool, hemp thread, or other materials for weaving. The elderly can teach the children to weave simple items such as scarves, gloves, hats, or use the weaving method to make small decorations such as small pendants and coasters. During the weaving process, the children can cultivate patience and concentration, and the elderly can enjoy a warm family time. Cooking Delicacies Baking: Make cakes, cookies, bread, and other baked goods together. The elderly can guide the children on how to accurately measure the ingredients, stir the batter, and set the oven temperature. The children can use frosting, chocolate chips, fruits, etc. to decorate the pastries creatively, and finally enjoy the delicious results together. Traditional Cuisine Preparation: Norway has some characteristic traditional cuisines, such as meatballs and salmon patties. The elderly can take the children to prepare the ingredients together and cook these cuisines according to traditional methods, allowing the children to understand Norway's dietary culture. Cultural and Artistic Activities Painting: Prepare drawing paper, paintbrushes, pigments, and other drawing tools, and the elderly and children can draw together. They can choose various themes such as landscapes, figures, and animals, or create freely according to their imagination. After drawing, they can share their works with each other and talk about the stories and ideas in the paintings. Calligraphy: If the elderly are good at calligraphy, they can teach the children calligraphy. Starting from holding the pen and basic strokes, let the children feel the charm of calligraphy. Practicing calligraphy together can cultivate the children's patience and aesthetic ability and is also a of traditional culture. Music: Norway is a paradise for chamber music with a strong musical atmosphere. The elderly and children can enjoy different types of music such as classical music and folk music together, or play simple instruments such as ukuleles and harmonicas together. If there are pianos, guitars, or other instruments at home, they can also learn and play some simple tunes together. Games and Entertainment Board Games: Such as chess, checkers, go, etc. These board games can exercise thinking ability and strategic awareness. The elderly and children can compete with each other and enhance their feelings in the game. Card…

name：Xiangtong Meng like: Engage in sports, hiking, rock climbing, cycling, traveling, enjoy playing with interesting people, preferably good at playing jokes and telling jokes, love watching TV dramas, from any country. Character: Enthusiastic, energetic, funny, enjoys laughing, worm-heart. Mbti: enfj(A personality test used to introduce personality, my personality is optimistic and enthusiastic）