ERIC Number: EJ1294838
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4430
EISSN: N/A
'I Feel Like I'm Getting Sad There': Early Childhood Outdoor Playspaces as Places for Children's Wellbeing
Early Child Development and Care, v191 n6 p933-951 2021
Children's physical activity has long been the primary focus of outdoor playspace design. Other influences are adult views on risk and economic considerations. However, a growing body of research shows young children's perspectives on their outdoor playspaces need to be accounted for. Positioned within a mixed-method comparative case study, this paper showcases the stories that young children have told during participatory research about two different early childhood outdoor playspaces. Recurrent wellbeing themes emerged highlighting children's agency, place attachment and the need to hide. Analysis of the children's stories indicated that a spacious open-ended environment, with significant natural features, selected built equipment and secluded spaces, fostered children's experiences of wellbeing through play. Overcrowding, and a preponderance of artificial surfaces and materials appeared to work against children's wellbeing. The findings indicate that good outdoor playspace design acknowledges the importance of place in children's lives, and involves them in co-construction of their playspaces.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Outdoor Education, Play, Young Children, Preschools, School Space, Educational Facilities Design, Physical Environment, Childrens Attitudes, Well Being, Personal Autonomy, Imagination, Creativity, Playgrounds, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A