Preschool children's outdoor play area preferences

Holmes, R. M.; Procaccino, Jill K.

doi:10.1080/03004430701770694

Cited by 25 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Levi's drawing of important places outside All eight children took a photo of the swings. This concurs withHolmes & Procaccino's (2009) study which found swings to be the most popular playground choice of girls, and the second most popular playground choice of boys. For some children the swings were a place for observing, as already discussed, but for others, swings were mentioned in association with other elements that involved movement: Jane: The swings are the best place to go?Thierry:Yep, I fly.…”

supporting

confidence: 91%

“…Rogers and Evans (2007, p. 164), in a study of young children's role-play, note outdoor contexts enable children to 'exercise greater choice over materials, location and playmates'. Australian studies involving school children have investigated children's preferences for certain outdoor equipment and materials (Bundy et al, 2008;Lucas & Dyment, 2010) and similar constructs have been investigated for younger children in the United States (Cosco, Moore & Islam, 2010;Holmes & Procaccino, 2009) and Norway (Storli & Hagen, 2010). These studies suggest that if outdoor environments are to appeal to children, equipment and materials must be open-ended, and facilitate challenge and social engagement.…”

Section: Children's Preference For the Outdoorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Young Children's Perspectives of Outdoor Learning Spaces: What Matters?

Merewether

2015

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood

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OUTDOOR SPACES ARE A FEATURE of most Australian early learning settings and have potential for many learning opportunities. This article reports on a study that investigated threeand four-year-old children's perspectives of the outdoor environment in their early childhood education setting. The research was conducted using multi-method approaches including childled tours and photography, photographic elicitation and conversations. Findings emphasise the importance for children of being able to pretend, move, observe and be social. These findings have implications for designers of both curriculum and outdoor spaces for young children.

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supporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Children's Preference For the Outdoorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young Children's Perspectives of Outdoor Learning Spaces: What Matters?

Merewether

2015

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood

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“…This improved traditional playground (Holmes & Procaccino, 2009) selected for the study shows devices with interesting and inviting materials, textures and heights all aesthetically designed. Playground equipment is fixed, monofunctional and multifunctional.…”

Section: Traditional Playgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Play and Physical Activity in Traditional and Forest (Natural) Playgrounds

Torkar¹,

Rejc²

2017

INT J EDUC METHODOL

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Early childhood is a crucial period for the physical and cognitive development of children. A child's exposure to nature is proven to be beneficial in this period of human life. The aim of the present research was to investigate children's play and physical activity on a traditional playground and on a forest (natural) playground. Twenty-five observations took place on the traditional playground, and twenty-five observations were recorded on the forest playground. Twenty-five participating preschool children were observed in both playgrounds, but not necessarily in the same order. Research findings confirmed important qualities of natural playgrounds that provide children with a wide range of playing and learning opportunities not available on other playgrounds. Children were playing more with different natural materials in the forest playground and they more frequently played different chasing games and hide and seek in the forest playground. Participating children were also more physically active on the forest playground, and boys were more active on the forest playground than girls. The research concludes that it is important for preschool teachers to use natural playgrounds frequently and with regularity. Research design in this article is also an example of how GPS trackers can be beneficial for educational research.

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“…climbing and jumping off equipment, bike riding/crashing, sliding in mud, testing the depth of puddles which can be seen in the garden. Holmes andProcaccino (2009, p. 1111) suggest that children's preferences are influenced by the choice of equipment available to them in specific areas and note that researching small spaces rather than types of playground may be useful in ascertaining play preferences. The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, first published in 2007 and statutory from 2008, suggests an equation that provides the basis for good practice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot … children’s play preferences outdoors across a year in one private pre-school setting

Elliott

2021

International Journal of Play

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The importance of play as a vehicle through which learning takes place for young children is well documented. Play in its many forms contributes to all types of development. Outdoor areas provide play places for young children, but their value is not fully established. Early Years settings must provide daily outdoor experiences for children, but research is needed to fully understand how children's developmental needs are met through outdoor provision. This study considers pre-school children in one setting who have regular access to a garden which is not highly cultivated; it provides a range of textures and surfaces for the children to explore in conjunction with a variety of resources. The study examines the ways in which children use the garden in different seasons and discusses factors, such as the weather and the adults in the setting, that affect their play alongside the affordance of outdoor resources available to them.

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Preschool children's outdoor play area preferences

Cited by 25 publications

References 8 publications

Young Children's Perspectives of Outdoor Learning Spaces: What Matters?

Young Children's Perspectives of Outdoor Learning Spaces: What Matters?

Children’s Play and Physical Activity in Traditional and Forest (Natural) Playgrounds

Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot … children’s play preferences outdoors across a year in one private pre-school setting

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