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Environmental Psychology
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Manuscript Number:

Title: The Staircase as a Child's Playground

Article Type: Original Article (short)

Keywords: a staircase, architectural element, favorite, dangerous,

motoric development

Corresponding Author: Dr. dhini dewiyanti tantarto, Ph.D

Corresponding Author's Institution: Universitas komputer Indonesia

First Author: dhini dewiyanti tantarto, Ph.D

Order of Authors: dhini dewiyanti tantarto, Ph.D

Abstract: A staircase is an architectural element needed when a family

has decided to build a house with more than one story. However, quite
often this need is postponed whenever a family has a small child. A
staircase is considered as an architectural element that should be kept
away from small children because it is considered dangerous. This paper
will provide a new insight into parental perception of the existence of a
a staircase in the house. The focus is on the observation of part of a
house that becomes the favorite playground for children between 4 and 11
years old based on ten families whose houses contain a staircases. The
data was obtained through in-depth interviews with the children involved
and their parents, observation of method and play activities, and
observation and depiction of the space around the staircase. The findings
show that a staircase is a house element that function on the favorite
playground for children aged 4 to 7. A well-designed a staircase is
capable of stimulating child motoric development, enhancing playing
creativity and training self-regulation and self-awareness which is
useful for their lives. The staircase as a vertical circulation in a
house becomes an element that should not be avoided by a family, and make
it as a part of family education.

Suggested Reviewers:

Opposed Reviewers:
Covering Letter

Cover Letter

December 14, 2017

Editorial Department of Journal of Environmental Psychology

Dear Editor of Journal of Environmental Psychology,

I am submitting a manuscript for consideration of publication in Journal of

Environmental Psychology. The manuscript is entitled The staircase as a Childs
Playground.
It has not been published elsewhere and that it has not been submitted simultaneously
for publication elsewhere.
Thank you very much for your consideration. Correspondence and phone calls about
the paper please be directed to Dhini Dewiyanti, at the following address, telephone
and fax numberand e-mail address

Dhini Dewiyanti
Architecture Department, Universitas Komputer Indonesia (UNIKOM),
Jl. Dipati Ukur 112-116, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Tel: 08122184048
Fax: +62-22-2518282
E-mail: dhini.dewiyanti@email.unikom.ac.id
dhinitan@yahoo.co.id

We affirm that this manuscript is original, has not been published before and is not
currently being considered for publication elsewhere.

Thank you very much for your attention to our paper.

Sincerely yours,
Dhini Dewiyanti
*Highlights (for review)

Acknowledgements

This paper was made possible based on the participation of parents and participants in
the mathematics training know as kumon conducted in the period of 2016-2017 as the data
sources. The participating groups are the Arcamanik branch group, Bandung, Indonesia.
Title Page (including author names)

Title Page

The staircase as a Childs Playground

Dhini Dewiyanti (1), Dianna Astrid Hertoeti (2)

(1)
Architecture Department, Universitas Komputer Indonesia (UNIKOM),
Jl. Dipati Ukur 112-116, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
(2)
Architecture Department, Universitas Kebangsaan (UKRI),
Jl. Terusan Halimun 37, Bandung 40263, Indonesia

Email: dhini.dewiyanti@email.unikom.ac.id
dianna@universitaskebangsaan.ac.id
*Manuscript (without author names)
Click here to view linked References

1
The Staircase as a Childs Playground
2
3
4 Abstract
5
6 A staircase is an architectural element needed when a family has decided to build a house
7
8 with more than one story. However, quite often this need is postponed whenever a family
9 has a small child. A staircase is considered as an architectural element that should be kept
10 away from small children because it is considered dangerous. This paper will provide a new
11 insight into parental perception of the existence of a a staircase in the house. The focus is on
12
13
the observation of part of a house that becomes the favorite playground for children between
14 4 and 11 years old based on ten families whose houses contain a staircases. The data was
15 obtained through in-depth interviews with the children involved and their parents,
16 observation of method and play activities, and observation and depiction of the space around
17 the staircase. The findings show that a staircase is a house element that function on the
18
19 favorite playground for children aged 4 to 7. A well-designed a staircase is capable of
20 stimulating child motoric development, enhancing playing creativity and training self-
21 regulation and self-awareness which is useful for their lives. The staircase as a vertical
22 circulation in a house becomes an element that should not be avoided by a family, and make
23
it as a part of family education.
24
25
26 Keywords: a staircase, architectural element, favorite, dangerous, motoric development.
27
28
29 1. Introduction
30 A staircase is an architectural element that for some is considered as posing a high risk
31 as a place that causes accidents, particularly if it is related to its users, such as children,
32
33
parents and those with special needs (Jacobs, 2016). An online survey of ten parents shows
34 that parental fear of child safety at home involves around falling down or slipping from the
35 staircase (12%) and fear of the height of the stair-step (3%). Those fears occupy the second
36 and third position, whereas the first is fear of fire (16%). The second and third position is
37 related to the existence of a a staircase in a house (Nationwide, 2015). Similar research also
38
39 reveals statistical data on accidents related to a staircase at home as conducted by Cayless,
40 2001 and Scott, 2005. On the other hand, the need for space as a result the presence of
41 additional members of the family requires the house to be built with more than one story.
42 Limited land has forced the family to add the space to the upper floor. As a consequence,
43
the staircase has become a choice of circulation system that must be present in a house. A
44
45 house is a shelter which since the dawn of civilization has become the primary need. Piaget,
46 an expert in child development, stated that children develop their knowledge through active
47 exploration of the environment (Piaget, 1983, 1997; Lefa, 2014; Samuelsson and Carlsson,
48 2008; Cutter-Mackenzie, et al, 2014). A house is the first place where a child starts to
49
50
recognize the environment and learns many things, and the role of parents is very important
51 in the process of guiding the child (Iltus, 2007; Hess and Holloway, 1984; Biedinger, 2011).
52 Children, especially those who have not entered school age, spend most of their time at
53 home (Harris, 1995), and learn many things from people at home and conduct activity of
54 playing including interacting with a television screen as well as gadgets. A house equipped
55
56 with a front or back yard will have a positive impact on child development, although
57 sometimes the outdoor games they are playing belong to the category of high-risk game
58 (Brussoni, 2017). Children need to have a challenging, interesting and new environment in
59 order to train them to observe, think, make choices and become involved in favorite
60
61
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 activities and to give them the opportunity to interact with friends or other persons, animals
1 and nature. Nature gives the freedom to explore and satisfy their desire to know the world.
2 The opportunity to be in the outer environment is important for the development of motoric
3
4 and cognitive skills, interpersonal attitudes, and emotions including empatic values. That
5 statement is supported by the research on child development in their interaction with the
6 natural environment (Simmons, 2006; Aziz and Said, 2011; Fjortoft, 2001, 2004; Hussein,
7 2012; Said, 2012; Wells and Lekies, 2006; Mustapa, Maliki, and Hamzah, 2015).
8
9
However, if a house does not have enough space for outdoor space, then playing
10 inside the house becomes a choice that must be made by the child. In addition to space
11 limitation, a child playing inside the house is also caused by various factors such as: health
12 constraints, physical limitations, parental fear of risky games (Brussoni, et.al., 2012),
13 parental fear of crime and security issues (Francis, 2017; Parker, 2000; Warsh, 2008), fear
14
15 of sun exposure and rain (Clements, 2004; Corraliza, 2012; Wilson 2000), or parental fear
16 because they feel that the neighborhood friendship within their neighborhood does not meet
17 their expectation (Hill, 2012). Playing inside the house can become an interesting activity
18 and can be directed toward positive child development. However, is it true that playing
19
inside the house is safe for the children? Research conducted in a period of one year (2016)
20
21 on a house as the childrens playground, produces favorite spaces of the children between 4
22 11 years old. For boys: 1) a staircase space 24%; 2) family room 20%; 3) bedroom 18%;
23 whereas for girls: 1) bedroom 25%; family room 19%; and 3) a staircase space 18%. This
24 early finding yields the fact that the staircase becomes a favorite place for children to play,
25
26
although the degree of needs is different based on gender. Naturally, a child needs a
27 challenge, a degree of difficulty, and the desire to try new and even dangerous things
28 (Brussoni, 2017; Little, 2015; Sandseter, 2011; Morrongiello, 2007), so that it is quite
29 normal if a staircase (which parents considered as a dangerous architectural element) is the
30 favorite choice of the children. This different point of view becomes an interesting aspect
31
32 and a challenge that will be revealed by this research, i.e. how to perceive a staircase as a
33 challenging element and not just a dangerous place. Both parent and children
34 perspectives (from the point of view of parents and children) should receive a balanced
35 attention.
36
37
This paper is an assessment of ten families who own two-story houses, with children
38 aged between 4 and 11 (years old). Profound understanding is obtained after conducting
39 collaborative observation for one year (period of 2016) involving children as the main focus
40 along with their parents. This article aims to analyze in depth the role of a staircase space for
41 a child to play inside the house, and the factors influencing decision about and choice of the
42
43 place, based on the childs perspective. The benefit that will be obtained is how to bring
44 about parent understanding in addressing a staircase space as a place for children to play and
45 learn.
46
47
48
49 2. Methods
50 2.1. Participants
51
52
The research has been conducted with the purposive sampling technique, i.e. the
53 technique of selecting participants based on special considerations (Tashakkor and
54 Teddlie, 2010), selecting the age of participants between 4 and 11 years old, dividing the
55 into two categories, i.e. 4-7 year-olds and 8-11 year-olds. This range of age is selected
56 because in this phase a child experiences the most rapid motoric and cognitive
57
58 development (Davis, Pitchford, and Limback, 2011; Ojose, 2008; Wade and Whiting,
59 1986; Libertus and Hauf, 2017). Another consideration is concerns the familys economic
60 equality, and the two-story house with a corresponding area. The research involved young
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 families with 1 child or more. The child is the participant of a mathematics tutoring class,
1 with the consideration of showing equal concern for providing additional stimulus for the
2 childrens cognitive development. Participant equality is needed to simplify the variables
3
4 of the object being studied. This research is also limited to middle economic group with a
5 basic consideration that this group has the financial capability to fulfill the childrens
6 basic need so that the children can grow in accordance with the criteria of the expected
7 development (Hijazi and Naqvi, 2006; Akhtar, 2012). The dwelling unit used as research
8
9
object is a dwelling unit featuring the 70 m2 type up to the 200 m2 type, that has two
10 stories. This house type is usually owned by young couple with a middle income economic
11 background. Out of 50 respondents that participated, only 21 participants that meet the
12 criteria for further research.
13
14 Table 1. Respondent Distribution based on house type and childs age
15
16 Childs age House type House type House type
17 70-100m2 100-150m2 150-200m2
18 Family 1 child
19
4 - 7 years old 2 3 2
20
21 8 - 11 years old 2 1 1
22 Family >1 child
23 4 - 11 years old 3 6 1
24 Total 7 10 4
25
26 2.2. Instrument
27
28 The research process was conducted by collecting information from children and
29 parents, through observation of the physical environment of the house and the childrens
30 behavior, and interviews with the parents as data support. Observation was conducted at a
31 time that was adjusted with the childrens play time at home. This playing time was
32
33 determined through preliminary interviews with the parents.
34 Several instruments are needed to document and explore information so that this research
35 can lead to accurate conclusion, such as:
36 2.2.1. Visualization of House Plan
37
38 Visual observation of childrens behavior at home, especially around the staircase
39 comprises the preliminary data that will be used in conducting the analysis. How a child
40 treats the staircase and the way how the staircase influences the development of the childs
41 psycho-motoric and cognitive skills becomes the point of interest in visual observation
42
43 particularly, which part of the staircase was mostly utilized by children during playing, and
44 which things made the children love to play around the staircase element. The picture of
45 the house situation in the form of a plan was used as a tool to record its activity pattern
46 emerging from the respondents. The recording of the activity pattern is usually employed
47 in user-based research (Courage, et.al., 2015; Creamer, 2017), whereas the detailed picture
48
49 of the staircase is also needed to figure out the type of a staircase, the width of the
50 staircase, the height and width of the staircase and the material used. Every aspect
51 becomes a tool to support the analytical process, so that the correlation of the staircase
52 position in a house, and the shape and dimension of the stair with childs playing activity
53
54
pattern can be formed.
55 2.2.2. Verbal language
56 Observation cannot be made continuously, therefore additional information on the
57 childrens behavior and activity in utilizing the staircase element in the house is needed.
58 Interviews with the parents as the source of information being the closest to the childs life
59
60 are needed to strengthen the assumption in the analytical process. The interview includes
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 the time of playing, games usually played by the child, the activity with the child when
1 using a staircase elements and the parents response to the existence of the staircase for the
2 developmental process of the child. This interview is based on the previous research, so
3
4 that the list of questions can be more in-depth and more focused on the research object.
5
6 2.3. Procedures
7
8 The steps taken include space identification, data collection and observation of the
9 staircase element, and observation of other aspects around the staircase space which
10 influence child playing activities.
11 2.3.1. Identify which spaces are very popular with the children as space for activity.
12
13
Space identification is needed to figure out which space is predominantly the favorite
14 of boys and girls. Is there any similarity or dissimilarity in selecting space for the activities
15 of the boys or girls? The type of playing activity can be done is also needed in order to
16 figure out the kind of stimulation that takes place during their growing process
17 2.3.2. Observing the position of the staircase in the house.
18
19 The next step is depicting the position of the staircase in the house of each
20 respondent. After the depiction of the position of the staircase, a classification is made.
21 The findings of the observation can be classified into three groups of a staircase position in
22 the house (Table 2), i.e. 1) a staircase space directly connected to the living room (40%);
23
24
2) a staircase space directly connected to the dining room (35%);and 3) A staircase space
25 directly connected to other rooms, such as transitional space, kitchen, and others (25%).
26
27 Table 2.A staircase Position in the House
28 POSITION RESPONDENT (%)
29
30
Stair at Family Room 45
31 Stair at Dining Room 35
32 Stair at another place 20
33
34
35 2.3.3. Depicting a staircase space used and its activity
36 Depicting the staircase element in detail consists the lay-out and section, in order to
37 figure out the width and height of a staircase steps. The dimension of these a staircase
38
39
steps is observed to find out whether there is an effect on the activity. The width and
40 height of the staircase steps that meet international standards (Neufert, 2012) are become
41 the reference for conducting observation and analysis. The type and shape of a staircase
42 which has an effect on the space underneath the staircase which might be used by children
43 in their exploration are also taken into consideration.
44
45
46
47 2.3.4. Observing other influential aspects
48 Other aspects around the staircase space do not escape the attention of the researcher.
49
50 Among others are: lighting, type of a staircase, a staircase material, the existing color and
51 texture. Observation of these aspects is supported by interviews with the parents dealing
52 the childrens companions while they are playing. For example, does a child like to play in
53 the space under the staircase, what game they play,whether they play by themselves or
54
55
with friends, and many other questions.
56
57
58
59
60
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 3. Results and discussion
1 3.1. A staircase is the favorite of boys between 4 7 years old
2
3 The childs perspective in understanding a space is usually adjusted with the art look
4 and imagination that are growing at that time (Korpela, et.al., 2002; Hart; 1979, 2002).
5 Child imagination can change anytime, so that childrens perspective on the space they are
6 using can also change. Previous research found that 17.5% children aged between 4 7
7
8 years old are fond of a staircase space as a playground. This space takes the lead as the
9 most favorite space of the children. The penchant for playing around the staircase space
10 reaches 24% in boys and 18% in girls. For boys, the domination of motoric development is
11 believed to be the cause of why the stair space is more preferable, whereas for girls,
12
13
although it does not come first in their choice of playground, they still like this space as
14 their imaginative space. This is in accordance with the theory of child development which
15 states that in that age range, the child cognitive skill/development is growing fast. The
16 ability to count and arrange things, recognizing color and shape, their imaginative ability
17 and memories are improving (Davis, et.al, 2011). In addition to cognitive development, at
18
19 this age motoric development is also experiencing fast growth, among others the ability to
20 move in a coordinated way, and conducting new physical movements, although there may
21 be some feeling of fear and hesitation. (Bauer, 1980; Broere, 2009).
22
23
24
Table 3. Spaces that are the favorite of children aged between 4-7 years old
25
26 N Name of Space Boys Girls
27 o. Activity Enthusiast Activity Enthusiasm
28 (in%) (in %)
29 1 Living Room Join to meet the guest 2 Join to meet the 3
30 guest
31 2 Family room/dining Play, watch TV, eat 20 Play, watch TV, eat 19
32 room gather with family gather with family
33 3 Bedroom Sleep, play, read 18 Sleep, play, read 25
34 4 Study Room/Work Read, play 8 Read, play 7
35 Room
36 5 Kitchen See their mother 4 Participate in 13
37 cooking cooking or activities
38 6 Bathroom Take a bath and play 12 Take a bath and play 10
39 with water with water
40 7 A staircase space Play, up and down the 24 Play, up and down 18
41 stair case. the stair case.
42 8 Receiving room play 2 play 3
43
9 Terrace play 7 play 7
44
10 Yard Play ball, run 3 Play ball, run 2
45
46 100% 100%
47
48
49 Then, the fact becomes a reference to conduct deeper observation, what kind of a staircase
50 space tend to become the favorite of the children, and the reasons behind their preference.
51
52
3.2. The staircase whose position is united with the living room or dining room
53
54 becomes a great attraction
55 The respondent house is generally the product of renovation or an additional floor, so
56
that the owner of the house is heavily involved in deciding the position of the staircase
57
58 space. The positioning of a staircase space inside the house, and the reason behind the
59 positioning of the staircase space becomes something that should be known. In general the
60 positioning of a staircase space can be grouped into 3 (three) major categories, i.e. 1) the
61
62
63
64
65
 staircase position that is connected with the family room (45%); 2) the position of the
1 staircase that is connected with its dining room (35%); 3) the position of a staircase that is
2 connected to another room (figure 2), such as the corridor, transition room, and others
3
4 (20%).
5
6
7 Table 4. The position of a staircase and the reason for its positioning based on design consideration
8
9 The position of a
10 Number in
11 staircase in the Reason for the positioning
percentage
12 house
13 A staircase is Close to other room,
14 connected to the Easy to monitor,
15 45
16 family room Utilizes space underneath the
17 staircase
18 Space limitation
19
20
A staircase is Utilizes space underneath the
21 connected to the 35 staircase
22 dining room Suggestion from
23 architect/handyman
24
25 A staircase is Limited land
26 connected to the other 20 Room/space efficiency
27 room
28
29
Several reasons for the house owner to position the staircase in the position close to family
30
31 space are not merely due to space limitation, but whether it is realized or not, it aims to
32 anticipate the problem of security and comfort of the residents. The open family room and
33 being directly connected to a staircase space, are design solutions to solving the security
34 problem for member of the family, especially children (Dowling, 2008; Attfield, 1999).
35
36
Open space and being directly connected with other rooms turn out to make children feel
37 safe, comfortable and excited to do activities (Dowling, 2008). Usually, the activities of
38 children aged between 4 11 years old are to explore and move freely, but they still need
39 the feeling of being secure and comfortable with the closest person (Madigan, 1999). The
40 staircase space directly connected to the family room (55%) is the favorite among the
41
42 children (fig. 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10), followed by 35 % of a staircase space directly connected
43 with the dining room (fig. 4, 5, 6). The reason behind this is that parents can easily monitor
44 their children when they are playing; whereas from the childs perspective, this space
45 provides them with freedom of moving and interacting with friends, relatives, or parents.
46
47
As for the staircase space connected to other rooms, such as the hallway and kitchen, only
48 10% favor this place for pragmatic reasons, i.e. no other room being available, and no
49 children being allowed to play outside.
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
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 Table 5: The Position of A staircase and the Background of Selecting Playing Space
1
2 Position of a Total in
3 Parent and Childrens reasons
staircase in the house percentage
4
parent: relaxed activities, watch TV, do other
5
6 activities, easy to monitor, safety.
A staircase related to
7 55 child: unimpeded movement, feel there is a
family room
8 friend, being able to ask each other, play house
9 underneath the staircase
10 parent. Eating activity, cooking, limited room,
11 A staircase related to
35 safety
12 dining room
13
child: close to parents, being able to ask
14 parent : limited space, not allowed to play
A staircase related to
15 10 outside.
other rooms
16 child: not being allowed to play outside.
17
18
19 From observation, the position of a staircase directly connected to the family room and
20 open space such as the garden/playground (fig 8, 10) shows a higher frequency of children
21 playing, compared to those without a garden/playground (fig. 1, 3, 7, 9). The character of
22 open plan in its spatial plan (Hart, 1979) becomes one of the causes, and this satisfies
23
24
childrens and parents needs to keep interacting. A temporary conclusion can be drawn
25 from the condition above, namely that all activities done by the children (as long as there is
26 interaction with adult), will make the room the most favorite for the children in that age.
27
28 Figure 1 Figure 2
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46 Figure 3 Figure 4
47
48
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 Figure 5 Figure 6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 Figure 7 Figure 8
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 Figure 9 Figure 10
21
22
23
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25
26
27
28
29
30
31 7.3. Staircase in the childs regulation system
32
33 The staircase as a favorite place has certain parts that are favored; what activities are
34 conducted in that part, and why are they favored (Table 6)
35
36
37 Table 6: Position of the staircase and the background to the choices made
38
39 PART OF THE
ACTIVITY REASON
40 STAIRCASE
41 Turning it into a house/palace/cave/kitchen, etc.
42 wide enough
43 To play roles
Will not be disturbed by parents
44 can see various rooms
45 SPACE
protected but its not scary
46 UNDERNEATH To hide
Will not be passed by people
47 THE nyaman, seperti punya rumah sendiri comfortable, just
48 STAIRCASE
49
To lie down like having our house
quiet
50
51 quiet
To study
52 Can see different height of the stair.
53 Because of different height, can practice to jump
54 To jump Competing over height with friend
55 Imagine jumping to the pool
56 to measure body height weekly check of body height
57
A STAIRCASE
Counting the stairs with mother
58 To learn counting
Solve puzzles
59 imagine hoisting the flag at the independence ceremony
60 To train hoisting the flag
Practice walking up the stair without looking
61
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63
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 The space underneath the staircase as a favorite place to play becomes a special place for
1 the children. For the parents, its space underneath the staircase is an awkward unpleasant
2 place since they have to bow their head every time they reach it. This partially hidden
3
4 place is also called a secret hide-out space (Senda, 1988) or hidden space (Sknfors, et al,
5 2009), a room that is not intended for certain functions, but on the contrary, it is attractive
6 to the children. For the children, this space becomes so special that enables them to have
7 their own territory. This territory is a personal area that makes someone feel like having
8
9
their own privacy (Namazian and Mehdipour, 2013; Altman, 1975; Lang, 1987). In the
10 room that is private for the children, they have their own rules. The children arrange the
11 rule themselves that was created based on their own fantasy world, they arrange the time to
12 be alternately used among the siblings, friends or some children and even spend time with
13 the placement of dolls or their toys and their pets. When children learn to arrange
14
15 themselves and are aware of the feeling of sharing the room, children are in fact learning
16 self-regulation (Bodrova, et al, 2013).
17
18
The space underneath the stair is a firm favorite because it feels comfortable, is quiet and
19 capable of providing a fantasy world to them to create the world they wish for. The space
20 underneath the stair can be used as home, palace, classroom, cave, bedroom, pool, cage,
21 and other transformation. Similar findings are also stated by Green (2013) on the research
22 into pre-school children aged between 3 to 5 years old. Apparently, this activity is also a
23
24 favorite among children between 4 - 7 years old. Playing roles for this age group includes
25 more variety in playing characters, where the playing role is more creative, involving
26 plenty of participants, with more variety in spatial arrangement involving other spaces
27 around the staircase. Quite often, they construct a tent using a used paper box, a blanket, a
28
29
pile of bags and other items. This special place involves the following forms of game
30 activity: 1) functional, 2) constructional, 3) symbolic games (Smilansky and Shefatya,
31 1990). The childrens space creation is adjusted with the mood or the situation at that
32 moment. The creation of territorial space that occurs in the outdoor space (Thomson,
33 2005), also occurs at home.
34
35 A staircase steps also become a fun place for the children to play, especially for boys. A
36 staircase steps become a challenge for athletic capability, especially jumping. The jumping
37
38 game is quite a dangerous game if played without parent supervision. This activity
39 involves three-dimensional elements that should be taken into consideration. This activity
40 poses cross-sectional problems (Senda, 2015), where parents need to consider the spatial
41 aspect of the playground: top side, peripheral, and floor. As a place to stand on and fall
42
into, the floor should be safe, soft enough and not a floor made of hard sharp material, of
43
44 stone. The floor material must also not be a cold type of floor since children often sleep on
45 the floor. A staircase handrail may not be sharp in design nor make the children fall
46 between it, and the end of the stair should be safe without any sharp angles.
47
48 Specifically for this activity, parental supervision is needed (figure 11). The staircase steps
49 should often be used by the parents to teach the children to count (figure 12). Together
50 they step on the stair counting and playing or singing together. Placing importance on the
51
52
parental role in supervising the playing and learning activities especially for pre-school
53 children will be very helpful for the childs development (Fagbeminiyi, 2011; Fantuzzo, et
54 al,2003). The children are allowed to play around the staircase area because parents are
55 convinced that the design of the staircase has taken the security factor into consideration
56 (24%). Parents also hold the view that a staircase is not an architectural element that one
57
58 should be afraid of (18%). Some parental views are: children should be accustomed to
59 using a staircase to avoid problems when they are in a public space (8%). Another aspect
60 that makes parents feel that its staircase will not pose a problem to be used as a playground
61
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63
64
65
 the presence of non-working mothers so that the children will be monitored optimally
1 (16%). Another important factor in considering a staircase are safe or harmless for the
2 children is the background of the parents that have never had any problem with staircases
3
4 since their childhood (7%). Some parents also have an awareness that the staircase can be
5 used to teach motoric and cognitive capabilities of the children, particularly when it comes
6 to counting (Table 7).
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 Figure 11. Parent involvement while playing Figure 12. Learning how to count with a
24 parent by ascending/descending
25 the staircase
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
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54
55
56
57
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 1
2 7.4. A staircase and Self-Awareness
3 The implication of training to walk down the staircase, hold on to the wall or the
4 staircase handrail, indirectly provides training to achieve body balance. Children learn to
5
control their bodies so that balance control is trained. Children who are used to being careful
6
7 with the staircase at home, have better self-awareness compared to children whose parents
8 forbid them to climb the house staircase. When a child goes to a public place, they are more
9 conditioned not to play with the escalator since they no longer feel like to playing with the
10 staircase. Playing activities underneath the staircase trains a child to understand the situation
11
12
and at the same time a realize of the existence of self-awareness (Rochat, 2003). Rochat
13 divided the level of learning self-awareness for children into five levels: 1) Differentiation,
14 2) Situation, 3) Identification, 4) Permanence, 5) Self-consciousness or meta self-
15 awareness. The staircase also trains a childs self-regulation through the games he/she is
16 playing (Savina, 2014). The basic nature of a child is doing what is prohibited, so the parent
17
18 should learn to communicate with the child. Accompanying and providing direction on the
19 safe way of using a staircase is more effective than any form of restriction (Heilmann, et.al.,
20 2015). A child also loves activities with a non-standard pattern because they consider them
21 as a challenge (Sporrel, 2017). By training to count and developing their motor skills,
22
23
children indirectly train their cognitive skills as well. A parent accompanying the children
24 while they are playing is a form of interaction between parent and child. Playing on the
25 staircase also makes children competent. Senda (2015) divided this phenomenon into five
26 categories: physicality, sociality, sensitivity, inventiveness, and ambition.
27
28
29 Understanding and being aware of the aspects described above, it is expected that the
30 process of planning and design of a house for a young couple can be achieved by architects
31 to actively play a role in stimulating the childs growth. Architecture is an integral synthesis
32 between theory and practice. Architectural theory cannot be detached from the real world.
33
Architectural design is intended for people. Therefore, to produce a good design, an
34
35 architect needs to understand peoples needs, including those of children. In general,
36 architectural design only relies on assumptions represented by adult users, and children as
37 users are often neglected. Step width of 25 cm and step height of 18 cm that are in line with
38 international standard (Neufert, 2012) should be adhered to by designers, so that not only
39
40 the parents will have comfort, but also the children as well (figure 13)
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60 Figure 13. Ideal a staircase steps for children
61
62
63
64
65
 1 8. Conclusion
2
3 A new perspective is needed to assess that the staircase is a dangerous architectural
4 element for children, especially for children aged under 7 years old. The role of parents
5 becomes so important in accompanying children while they are active using the staircase.
6 The use of the staircase by parents as one of the elements that is capable of training motoric
7
8 ability, numeric skills and the childs self-regulation, should be understood by parents.
9 Interaction between a child and parent in using the staircase should also be taken into
10 consideration by architects. Staircase design in accordance withthe ideal standard of 15-18
11 cm of footsteps is apparently an element that is comfortable and safe to be used by children.
12
13
The staircase that is the favorite of the children is apparently one that is ideal for adult, and
14 not the height based on their body ergonomics. A staircase with a space underneath the
15 staircase tends to trigger the childs creativity while they are playing. Material selection for
16 the staircase is also an important element to be considered when a family adds the staircase
17 to the house.
18
19
20 9. Future research
21 Nevertheless, this research requires a long period of time to declare that a a staircase is
22
23 safe for small children. The possibility of accident on the staircase should also be taken into
24 consideration, which according to the research by Cohen, LaRue, Harvey (2009), occurs
25 more among the elderly. Whether a a staircase that is in accordance with the childs needs
26 has a fatal impact on the elderly should be investigated thoroughly. The high number of the
27
28
figure does not exclude the possibility of accidents involving small children. In-depth
29 research is needed into different childrens characters such as: hyperactive children, children
30 with special needs, and so on.
31 Based on this research, other cases are needed for a variety of space design in a house
32 and the design of the staircase itself. The staircase is made with different designs and
33
34 measurements and in a certain position. If in this research the case is for a two-story house,
35 does the similar indication derived from the findings also apply to a house with three stories.
36 Further research into other rooms as favorite places for children to do activities, in
37 accordance with the finding at the beginning of exploration, also becomes a topic of
38
discussion that is appropriate to be explored.
39
40
41 10. References
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43
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Table

Table 1. Respondent Distribution based on house type and childs age

Childs age House type House type House type

70-100m2 100-150m2 150-200m2
Family 1 child
4 - 7 years old 2 3 2
8 - 11 years old 2 1 1
Family >1 child
4 - 11 years old 3 6 1
Total 7 10 4

Table 2.A staircase Position in the House

POSITION RESPONDENT (%)
Stair at Family Room 45
Stair at Dining Room 35
Stair at another place 20

Table 3. Spaces that are the favorite of children aged between 4-7 years old

N Name of Space Boys Girls

o. Activity Enthusiast Activity Enthusiasm
(in%) (in %)
1 Living Room Join to meet the guest 2 Join to meet the 3
guest
2 Family room/dining Play, watch TV, eat 20 Play, watch TV, eat 19
room gather with family gather with family
3 Bedroom Sleep, play, read 18 Sleep, play, read 25
4 Study Room/Work Read, play 8 Read, play 7
Room
5 Kitchen See their mother 4 Participate in 13
cooking cooking or activities
6 Bathroom Take a bath and play 12 Take a bath and play 10
with water with water
7 A staircase space Play, up and down the 24 Play, up and down 18
stair case. the stair case.
8 Receiving room play 2 play 3
9 Terrace play 7 play 7
10 Yard Play ball, run 3 Play ball, run 2
100% 100%
Table 4. The position of a staircase and the reason for its positioning based on design consideration

The position of a
Number in
staircase in the Reason for the positioning
percentage
house
A staircase is Close to other room,
connected to the Easy to monitor,
45
family room Utilizes space underneath the
staircase
Space limitation
A staircase is Utilizes space underneath the
connected to the 35 staircase
dining room Suggestion from
architect/handyman
A staircase is Limited land
connected to the other 20 Room/space efficiency
room

Table 5: The Position of A staircase and the Background of Selecting Playing Space

Position of a Total in
Parent and Childrens reasons
staircase in the house percentage
parent: relaxed activities, watch TV, do other
activities, easy to monitor, safety.
A staircase related to
55 child: unimpeded movement, feel there is a
family room
friend, being able to ask each other, play house
underneath the staircase
parent. Eating activity, cooking, limited room,
A staircase related to
35 safety
dining room
child: close to parents, being able to ask
parent : limited space, not allowed to play
A staircase related to
10 outside.
other rooms
child: not being allowed to play outside.
 Table 6: Position of the staircase and the background to the choices made

PART OF THE
ACTIVITY REASON
STAIRCASE
Turning it into a house/palace/cave/kitchen, etc.
wide enough
To play roles
Will not be disturbed by parents
can see various rooms
SPACE
protected but its not scary
UNDERNEATH To hide Will not be passed by people
THE nyaman, seperti punya rumah sendiri comfortable, just
STAIRCASE To lie down like having our house
quiet
quiet
To study Can see different height of the stair.
Because of different height, can practice to jump
To jump Competing over height with friend
Imagine jumping to the pool
to measure body height weekly check of body height
A STAIRCASE
Counting the stairs with mother
To learn counting
Solve puzzles
imagine hoisting the flag at the independence ceremony
To train hoisting the flag
Practice walking up the stair without looking
Figure

Figure 1 Figure 2

Figure 3 Figure 4

Figure 5 Figure 6

Figure 7 Figure 8

Figure 9 Figure 10
Figure 11. Parent involvement while playing Figure 12. Learning how to count with a
parent by ascending/descending
the staircase

Figure 13. Ideal a staircase steps for children