Early childhood development

Infants’ vision is not developed at first. Babies see blurry and only in black and white before the third month. Only after that do they gradually perceive colours such as red, yellow, and blue. To encourage this development, Globegarden, the leading childcare provider in Switzerland, has set up appropriate black-and-white corners in its baby rooms. "Infants still find it difficult to perceive different colours, so strong contrasts are important here. Studies have shown that a strong light-dark contrast stimulates the brain activity of babies", says Silke Bührmann, Director of Pedagogy and Education at Globegarden.

Contrasts stimulate the eyesight

Sight is the baby’s least developed sense at first. After birth, the infant is short-sighted, with eyes focused on objects at the same distance as the nursing mother’s face. At about three months of age, the vision improves, but the ability to move the gaze from one object to another is not yet present. Babies initially find it easier to focus on high-contrast objects and patterns because the light-sensing cells, cones, and rods in the retina are not yet mature enough to perceive red, blue, pink, yellow, violet, and green. With black-and-white contrasts, however, this is easier.

Visual-sensory playing experiences

"By using contrasts, we increase the visual stimulation," explains Silke Bührmann. In the black-and-white area of Globegarden educational facilities, there are, for example, black-and-white play rings, an activity ball collection, a black-and-white sensory mat, and accessories in black-and-white. Babies can choose from a wide range of play options. This game promotes healthy brain development. By focusing the eyes on the contrasts, the baby trains its sense of sight. The eye muscles and brain learn to work together and function properly. "The contrasts promote the babies‘ cognitive development without over-stimulating them," Silke Bührmann adds to the approach. The principle is framed by the use of soft materials with a metallic sheen and smooth, cool fabrics to set both sensory and visual stimuli.