In a sports arena we feel part of a mass or, if we are down on the field, we feel the focus of mass attention. Children, who operate most of the time in outsized surroundings, gravitate to the tiny in spaces, objects, and living things. Scale affects our behavior and our ability to act competently. Try sitting in a preschool chair or climbing a child's stairway to experience awkwardness as an adult. Child scaled furnishings, equipment, and toys allow children to behave competently and feel powerful Child scale is critical where we expect children to become independent and competent.
Social density refers to how many people inhabit the space.
If there are too many people in a given space, we usually react negatively. Children react both by withdrawing, physically and socially, and by acting aggressively. The number of people affects the size and quantity of the objects possible in a working space. The more people, the more empty space is necessary for people to feel comfortable. The feelings of being crowded is the feeling of being observed, of being in the continual presence of others.