ABSTRACT
First Principles in Designing for Children ........................................................................ 400 Children are not Little Adults ....................................................................................... 400 Designing for Children Poses Special Challenges ...................................................... 403
Babies and Toddlers ....................................................................................................... 405 Rattles .......................................................................................................................... 406 Infant Cushions ............................................................................................................ 406 Baby Carriers ............................................................................................................... 407
Baby Carriers (on the Caregiver) ............................................................................. 409 Infant Bath Seats .......................................................................................................... 410 High Chairs .................................................................................................................. 410 Baby Walkers ............................................................................................................... 412 Baby Strollers ............................................................................................................... 413 Playpens and Play Yards ............................................................................................. 415 Baby Gates .................................................................................................................. 416 Baby Swings ................................................................................................................ 417 Developmental Milestones ........................................................................................... 418 Nursery Equipment Safety Checklist ........................................................................... 419
Transportation Toys for Children ..................................................................................... 423 Scooters ....................................................................................................................... 426 Skate Boards ............................................................................................................... 428 In-line Skating .............................................................................................................. 431 Bikes ............................................................................................................................ 437
The Problem ............................................................................................................. 438 Regulation and Standards ....................................................................................... 439 Design Recommendations ....................................................................................... 439 Maintenance ............................................................................................................. 441
Safety Recommendations ........................................................................................ 441 Recreation ....................................................................................................................... 443
Playgrounds ................................................................................................................. 443 Trampoline ................................................................................................................... 445
Recommendations ................................................................................................... 445 Child Protective Devices ................................................................................................. 447
Helmets ........................................................................................................................ 447 Bicycle Helmets ....................................................................................................... 447 Standards ................................................................................................................. 448 Legislation ................................................................................................................ 449 Understanding Helmet Design ................................................................................. 449 Purchasing ............................................................................................................... 451 Other Helmets .......................................................................................................... 452 Standards ................................................................................................................. 452 Getting Children to Wear a Helmet .......................................................................... 452 Fit .............................................................................................................................. 453
Wrist Guards. ............................................................................................................... 456 Firearms ........................................................................................................................... 459
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 459 Behavioral Implications ................................................................................................ 460 Solutions ...................................................................................................................... 461
Children’s Safety and Handguns Hal W. Hendrick, Ph.D., CPE, DABFE ............... 462 The Problem ................................................................................................................. 462 Causal Factors ............................................................................................................. 462 Preventing Unauthorized Access ................................................................................ 467
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 471 References ...................................................................................................................... 471
The focus of this chapter is product design and fitting products to the children who will use them. When designing products for children, there are additional considerations to those used when designing for adults. The basic ideas that follow demonstrate why designing for children is somewhat different from designing for adults.
