Time and space are closely linked. Anyone who wants to effectively address questions of spatial design should start by examining the daily routines at the daycare center. What times are set aside for what, and what rhythm does the daily routine dictate? Is this set in stone? Does this daily routine align with the values of the educational concept?
Do the children in the daycare center have the following four freedoms: the choice of where to play, what materials to use, when and for how long, and who to play with? Children need engaging spaces of possibility that they can explore. To do this, they need time—often more than adults realize. We therefore disagree with the view that a space is and remains interesting only if the materials there are regularly changed. Often, this deprives children of the opportunity to explore what is already there in all its facets.
Adults want daycare centers to have spaces that are as flexible and adaptable as possible. Ideally, they should be able to do everything. Yet this very approach often results in spaces that end up being bland and boring. They lack a welcoming atmosphere and incentives for exploration and discovery. This article explains qualities that, from a child’s perspective, foster flexibility because they offer scope for decision-making and allow objects such as furniture and fixed fixtures to be imbued with a wide variety of ideas—such as a place to retreat, hiding places, use as building materials, opportunities for role-play, or movement construction sites.
You can read the original TPS Issue 09/2025 here
The interior design by Rakoon Design and Kameleon Raumkonzepte for the client Lee Garden “Playdot” was recognized as the best interior design concept for clubhouses in Hong Kong. The award was presented by Build4Asia, the largest design magazine in the Greater Bay Area.
The design was carried out by our design department in collaboration with our client Rakoon Design.The fixtures were manufactured in our workshops, shipped to Hong Kong by sea freight in containers, and assembled there by Rakoon Design (with the support of our colleague Anne).
We congratulate Carsten Rakutt and our team on this award and recognition.
In the role-play area, children have the opportunity to take on different roles, act out special experiences, stories, or everyday situations, or process them. Here, both structured role-play and, above all, free role-play can take place.
Language and social skills, in particular,are supported in this area. The childrentalk to each other to discuss the course of the game and the rulesor to make agreements. Actionsare accompanied by language, or the childrentalk with a fictional playmate.
To understand the world and find a way to engage with it, children need materials that can be explored in many ways—things that raise questions and offer the opportunity to contribute their own ideas, experiment, and find answers. “Real objects” from the adult world and natural materials are more exciting than toys that embody a single play idea preconceived by adults.
We’ll tell you more about this in our role-playing data sheet
ROLE-PLAYING GAME DATASHEET
“Education in 3D”: That is the title of a Kameleon company profile published by the carpentry trade journal BM in its February 2024 issue.
The author of the article, Eike Ostendorf-Servissoglou, visited our plant in Fassoldshof, Franconia, and spoke with Plant Manager Jürgen Kolb and Marketing Manager Bernd Weber. She was impressed by the extensive machinery, the way we work, and our unique products. In her article, she shares her impressions of the facility. She also discusses special Kameleon projects, our marketing activities, and the spirit that defines our company.
Here you can read the complete article—courtesy of the BM editorial team and Konradin Verlag.
To the BM article
Especially during the first three years of life, children gain experiences by using their entire bodies. Their need to move forward, to feel themselves, and to perceive the world around them through these movements is immense. Whether it involves crawling, creeping, standing up, walking, sliding, or climbing—toddlers need an environment that allows them to develop their skills through constant repetition. This requires both ample space and protected areas. Aids and challenges such as handholds, railings, stairs, an inclined plane, and platforms challenge and encourage these developmental steps.
It is important to us to design this variety of opportunities for movement to support children in their motor development. With an interdisciplinary approach drawing on the fields of education, interior architecture, design, acoustics, and carpentry, we design challenging movement landscapes that comply with the standards of DIN EN 1176 and the requirements of accident insurance funds.
For one of these projects, we collaborated with the University of Bayreuth to develop and build a movement-focused nursery that offers diverse, challenging, and age-appropriate opportunities for movement. The experiences and insights gained from this collaboration and professional exchange inform our work, with the goal of creating quality spaces for children.
With support from the University of Bayreuth and funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Queb e.V. project was developed with the goal of promoting more physical activity in daycare centers. In this journey toward a movement-friendly daycare center, Kameleon is involved in training as well as through the participation of its own employees in the continuing education of so-called Queb coaches. In this way, we can work together to support daycare centers in analyzing their current situation, formulating specific goals, and jointly determining measures.
Physical activity promotes children’s health in the long term and serves as their gateway to the world.
QUEB FLYER
