How do children experience space?
Notions of space and place are highly complex for adults. As we grow, we learn to decipher certain relationships with our environment, but for an infant or young child, these experiences can be both overwhelming and exciting. This article explores how young children perceive, experience, and understand their surroundings.
In the early stages of life, an infant has no defined world. Why? After birth, the cerebral cortex contains only 10–20% of the normal complement of nerve cells; moreover, many of these nerve cells are not yet connected (Penfield, 2015; Bruner, Olver, & Greenfield, 1966). Hence, the infant does not distinguish between the self and the external environment. Sensations are not fully developed or localized. For example, while an infant can feel pain and respond by crying, she cannot locate it in a specific body part. As Tuan notes, for a brief time human beings live in a non-dualist world (Tuan, 1977, pp. 19–33).
Interestingly, most animals, especially mammals, achieve a sense of orientation soon after birth, often after a few steps. In contrast, a human child gains an understanding of environment and space gradually, over several months. During the first few weeks, infants cannot focus their eyes properly; by the end of the first month, they begin to fixate on objects within their field of vision. By the end of the fourth month, their vision extends to around three feet, beyond which little interest is shown (McKenzie & Day, 1972). Infants explore space by moving their limbs: kicking becomes an exercise of freedom, while by the 7th or 8th month knee movements develop, enabling crawling. They typically take their first independent steps between 12 and 14 months, and thus only after about a year do they gain the ability to move independently in space.
Children also investigate objects orally (Rene A. Spitz, 1965, p. 64), grasping and putting almost anything into their mouths. Sucking provides both nourishment and a way to explore toys. Hands quickly become tools to examine tactile and geometrical features of the environment. Even before they can focus on small objects, children use touch to interpret properties of their surroundings.
The first environment an infant explores is the presence of guardians or parents. The first object she recognizes is often another person. Adults are essential not only for survival but also in shaping a child’s sense of the world, exposing her to social and cultural influences. A crawling toddler explores space within the immediate vicinity, but once she learns to walk, she tends to follow her mother, extending exploration into the ambient environment. Parents understand how easily young children can get lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Adults usually make mental notes aiding navigation, but children, captivated by people or objects, do not assume that responsibility. Thus, guardians often serve as a child’s first known place.
A mother or guardian becomes the initial independent and enduring “object” in a child’s world, recognized as both shelter and source of comfort. Just as adults leave their homes to explore, children leave their guardian’s side to engage with the environment. While a guardian is in reality mobile, to the child she represents permanence and stability. In the presence of the mother, the strange world feels safer and somewhat familiar.
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As children grow, they attach more strongly to objects and later to places. Small movable objects such as toys become immediate companions, whereas places require more time to form attachments. However, these larger spaces cannot always provide immediate comfort in moments of crisis. Thus, children may form ambivalent relationships with places. For instance, a highchair in the West becomes “her place” for eating. While it brings satisfaction from feeding, it may also feel restrictive, producing conflicting emotions and complicating the child’s sense of attachment.
As speech develops, children strengthen their relationship with objects and places. By labeling and naming things, they not only identify them but also create permanence through communication. Two-year-olds can answer “where” questions with responses like “home,” “office,” or “park.” While they may not yet retain accurate mental images, they can sense location (Gesell, 2013). By age three, children begin to recognize landmarks and associate them with experiences such as walking or riding.
With age, the idea of place becomes more specific and geographical. Four-year-olds can use expressions such as “far away” and may recall the address of their house through repeated instruction from a guardian. As active learners surrounded by digital and media influences, children’s imaginations extend beyond the immediate confines of home and school to distant and virtual places.
Over time, children also develop a sense of property—not just toward objects, but toward space, territory, and positions of comfort. They can become possessive, such as insisting on a preferred seat next to a guardian. A toy that previously went unnoticed can suddenly acquire great value if someone else tries to play with it. These attachments function as anchors, reinforcing a need for personal belonging.
For children, place, space, and objects are experienced differently than by adults. While adults’ understanding relies on memory and familiarity, children’s imagination is grounded in activity and physical interaction. A simple box may become a temporary abode or even a castle. A picture book can transform into a portal to a fantastical land. Through imagination, children form bonds with their built environment, an approach fundamentally distinct from the memory-based relationships of adults.
Works Cited
Amazing work sir, Some of the observations made here are really great pieces of information. You can also refer to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development which can help you develop better interconnections between information.
Nice Read Mr. Das.
Great work!