Building spaces for play: Mothers design different environments for pre-walking and walking infants

How do caregivers design environments for infants? Using a mixed methods approach, we examined how 52 mothers of 12-month-old pre-walking versus walking infants constructed a new play space. Mothers arranged large foam blocks in an empty lab playroom and discussed their design process during open-ended interviews. Mothers of pre-walkers created expansive layouts with multiple block groupings scattered across the room. In contrast, mothers of walkers built concentrated areas (half the size) surrounded by an abundance of open floor space. When reflecting on their designs, mothers' explanations echoed the spaces they created. Most mothers discussed their infants' postural and locomotor skills, unique personalities, everyday experiences at home or in childcare centers, and the characteristics of the blocks. But more mothers of pre-walkers emphasized exploration-promoting travel and discovery-than mothers of walkers. The characteristics of mothers' environments, however, did not shape the quantity of infant locomotor exploration: Walkers spent more time in motion and traveled greater distances than pre-walkers, regardless of differences in environmental layout. Findings highlight the importance of viewing infant development as a process embedded within the physical environment.