Kids club design - the importance of clubs for kids
Kids clubs are real life children havens, packed with everything children can wish for.
This new age concept is a result of the modern age we live in - the scarcity of time we have on our hands, and the constant inability to spend enough quality time with our children. For that purpose, kindergartens have become a necessity, and together with them - the concept of a kids’ club.
What is a kids’ club?
Kids’ clubs can be a fully equipped mini playground or a complete village designed specially for children, but their actual purpose is to engage the children (and oftentimes - educate them), for however long their parents need it. Kids’ clubs can offer a wide range of activities such as - art and music classes, dancing, maritime and animal experiences, but also, language lessons or nature experiences.
Whatever the concept of the kids’ club might be, we are here to explore the kids club design, what impact does it have on the entire setting and have biophilic principles found their way towards this kid-friendly space.
Kids club design elements and how they fit their purpose
Kids club design concepts are mainly oriented towards storytelling, which makes perfect sense, since this kind of concept can help create everlasting memories for children, but their parents as well.
The principle of storytelling can help create a form of identity for the kids club itself, as well as play spaces alike, using different design and spatial elements. This also involves some custom made play units and mascots, to increase the atmosphere of the story.
A kid club concept should also involve integration for different children age groups, created as play areas that are safe, engaging, and whole lot of fun. Having in mind that every child loves to play and that every child also loves a good story, it is obvious that children need more than cool designed space and over the top play units.
They need a space with a purpose, whose energy and soul they can basically touch.
They need a unique concept that will capture their imaginations and make them feel as if they are in a truly magical environment, where they can obtain all kinds of new experiences.
Kids club concept in hospitality - more than just an extra service?
Even though kids’ club concepts in hospitality interiors are available as a source of revenue, they have also become a necessity.
Regarded as an extra service in hospitality, often times kids’ club design in hotels is not put together in a way that captivates the children’s imagination. We’ve already established that children appreciate (or better said - love) a good story, which is why the interior designers who specialize in this kind of concept should try and deliver one.
Storytelling as such should be weaved into the fabric of the kids’ club design and overall concept - the story material should be immersed in the design detail, but not only in that front.
Immersing storytelling into kids’ club activities
What do we mean by that?
Aside from having a great story showcased in the kids’ club interior design, it should also become an integral part of the activities offered in the kids’ club - molding one great adventure, instead of just a series of unconnected events that do not make much sense together.
Immersing storytelling elements should be kept simple, but also, relevant - they should be based on local myths and generally known fairy tales presented in a way that gives children an extra insight of the country they are staying at.
In addition to that, if the fictional characters act as fun educational ambassadors, than the story becomes a powerful narrative that captivates children’s minds, enabling them to learn while having fun and playing with other children.
Biophilic design in the kid club concept
The principles of biophilia have taken the world by storm - mainly it the field of interior design and in terms how it can help people be healthier and more productive, but also how to reconnect with nature once again.
Biophilic design in kids clubs aims to provide a dedicated space with a focus on biophilia, in order for children to play, nap and above all else feel well, promoting well being as important as playing and relaxing.
This healthy concept introduction to children’s clubs, that can be dubbed as biophilic kids’ clubs, exist to promote a space that is both healthy for our environment, and for our children.
Biophilic design in kids’ clubs rests upon the notion that not only working grown-ups, should be surrounded by materials that are responsibly sourced, recycled and possess a low-impact. The space that those materials form should provide a good air-quality, be exposed to natural lighting as much as it can and promote outdoor activity too.
Children should reconnect with the natural world as young as they are and understand the importance of having environmental experiences, in order to cultivate awareness that nature has in our everyday lives.
Biophilic kids clubs exist to enhance the children’s well being, through the incorporation of basic biophilic principles, that in turn weave the outline of the specific narrative the spatial elements want to tell.
Through nature inspired decor, wellness lighting and the unavoidable presence of plants, biophilic design in kids’ clubs is a sort of a future legacy - a way to show our children that nature and our connection to it matter and that it’s something that should be valued.