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Outdoor environmental assessment of attention promoting settings for preschool children
Abstract
The restorative potential of green outdoor environments for children in preschool settings was investigated by measuring the attention of children playing in settings with different environmental features. Eleven preschools with outdoor environments typical for the Stockholm area were assessed using the outdoor play environment categories (OPEC) and the fraction of visible sky from play structures (sky view factor), and 198 children, aged 4.5–6.5 years, were rated by the staff for inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors with the ECADDES tool. Children playing in large and integrated outdoor areas containing large areas of trees, shrubbery and a hilly terrain showed less often behaviors of inattention (p<.05). The choice of tool for assessment of attention is discussed in relation to outdoor stay and play characteristics in Swedish preschool settings. The results indicate that the restorative potential of green outdoor environments applies also to preschool children and that environmental assessment tools as OPEC can be useful when to locate and develop health-promoting land adjacent to preschools.
... These different possibilities or "incentives to action" can encourage various play actions (i.e., learning, Golinkoff et al., 2006) and meet the infants'/toddlers' need for exploration and movement. Third, there is empirical evidence that OA in contact with nature is a favorable setting for promoting children's well-being/stress reduction and the development of socio emotional, behavioral, and cognitive regulation skills from as early as the first years of life (Carrus et al., 2012;Mårtensson et al., 2009;Monti et al., 2019;Ulset et al., 2017). Furthermore, studies suggest that the higher the frequency and time spent in OA in green schoolyards by preschool children, the greater the gains in self-regulation skills (Faber Taylor & Butts-Wilmsmeyer, 2020;Ulset et al., 2017). ...
... Ulset et al. (2017) examined the relationships between the amount of time children spent outdoors during preschool and their cognitive and behavioral development throughout preschool and first grade; they found that the daily outdoor hours were positively related to children's attention skills and inversely related with children's inattention-hyperactivity symptoms. Also, Mårtensson et al. (2009) showed that attention skills in preschool children are correlated with OA in green outdoor environments. They found that children spending more time outside, in spacious and well-integrated green spaces, showed fewer behaviors of inattention measured with the Early Childhood Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale (McCarney, 1995). ...
... OA may thus offer a variety of opportunities for both effortless and effortful attention, allowing children to switch back and forth between the two states of attention, as also highlighted by Ulset et al. (2017). The restoration theory would also support our findings on improving adaptive behavior (see also Faber Taylor & Butts-Wilmsmeyer, 2020; Florit et al., 2024;Mårtensson et al., 2009). ...
Research Findings: In recent years, interest has grown in the potential benefits of outdoor activities (OA) for children’s development, particularly in promoting socioemotional, behavioral, and cognitive regulation skills and reducing stress. However, empirical evidence on the effects of OA programs for children in the first three years of life on these outcomes still needs to be provided. To address this gap, our study involved 95 infants and toddlers (girls = 48, Mage = 23.3 months) attending child care centers in north and south Italy and their teachers. Participants were divided into two groups: the Outdoor group (n = 55), actively involved in the OA program for four months, and the Control group (n = 40), who followed the standard curriculum. We assessed the children’s cortisol levels and emotional, behavioral, and cognitive regulation skills before (T1) and after (T2) the implementation of the OA intervention. After the 4-month intervention, improvements in the children’s adaptive behavior (particularly in social interaction) and cognitive-behavioral regulation skills were observed only in the Outdoor group. Children’s stress levels remained stable. Practice or Policy: Our findings show the benefits of daily OA on young children’s self-regulation, suggesting to schools and families that increasing OA from the first years of life may support cognitive and social growth.
... Free play is a critical element of a healthy lifestyle for children [10], and it is usually performed outdoors, where children exert energy in a freely chosen, fun, and unstructured manner [11]. On the other hand, play structures are built and designed to offer opportunities for children to have predetermined sequences of play [12,13]. Although attractive, play structures are costly, and for many, no 2 of 14 budget is planned for these when a school is built [14]. ...
... Figure 3 shows data from matched samples by sex and age. Out of 100 min analyzed over the school week (five days for 20 min each recess), no difference in MVPA was observed when accessing or not accessing the outdoor play structures within groups (n = 37) [16 min (7-30) vs. 14 min (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)] or between groups (n = 22) [16 min (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)]. Table 2 displays the minutes spent at moderate-to-vigorous intensity during different weekdays and recess times. ...
... Figure 3 shows data from matched samples by sex and age. Out of 100 min analyzed over the school week (five days for 20 min each recess), no difference in MVPA was observed when accessing or not accessing the outdoor play structures within groups (n = 37) [16 min (7-30) vs. 14 min (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)] or between groups (n = 22) [16 min (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)]. Table 2 displays the minutes spent at moderate-to-vigorous intensity during different weekdays and recess times. ...
Background/Objectives: It is believed that outdoor play structures lead to more physical activity for kids during school recess. However, the intensity of this activity remains unknown. This study explored whether access to outdoor play structures during recess interferes with children’s physical activity levels. Methods: Forty-one children (8–10 years old) accessed play structures during the afternoon recess but not in the morning for one entire week. To control for temperature differences, the same number of participants from another school who did not access playground structures were invited to participate. Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) was determined using heart rate reserve. Heart rate was recorded using the Fitbit Inspire 2 (San Francisco, CA, USA) for at least three full school days. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney U tests analyzed within- and between-group differences. Results: The findings show no difference in MVPA when accessing or not accessing outdoor play structures, both within groups [(n = 37) median (25th–75th) 16 min (7–30) vs. 14 min (5–22)] and between groups [(n = 22) 16 min (7–26)]. The weekly MVPA for all participants (n = 59) [172 min (117–282)] was the strongest variable associated with MVPA during recess [t(df) = 5.40 (38), 95% CI 0.04–0.09, p < 0.001]. Conclusion: accessibility to outdoor play structures does not increase MVPA during recess in children aged 8 to 10. Therefore, schools may need various options for children to play during recess, allowing them to accumulate MVPA.
... Although there are, still, unanswered questions on the effectiveness of teaching in virtual environments, research seems clearer, when it comes to the impacts of nature experiences on human cognitive function and mental health [15,16]. Outdoor educational spaces, also, seem to have benefits for learning and general wellbeing [17][18][19]. For instance, cognitive research has shown that school-aged children can demonstrate improved performance on mental tasks, such as memory, when such tasks are undertaken in a natural setting [17]. ...
... For instance, cognitive research has shown that school-aged children can demonstrate improved performance on mental tasks, such as memory, when such tasks are undertaken in a natural setting [17]. Other studies have shown that children, who attend pre-schools with natural outdoor play areas, scored better when tested for executive functioning [18]. As for the practice of physical activity in the presence of nature, known as green exercise [20], it has been postulated that it can have greater value than exercising in a gym, for instance, when it comes to preventing disease and enhancing general health [21]. ...
... Regarding cognitive performances in natural settings, studies have shown that individuals can demonstrate improved performance on mental tasks, such as memory, when such tasks are undertaken in a natural setting [17]. Other studies have shown that children who attend pre-schools with natural outdoor play areas scored better when tested for cognitive functioning [18]. Similar to our findings, Rogerson et al. (2016) found that for both the outdoor and indoor conditions, there was a statistically significant condition x time interaction effect [30]. ...
Purpose:
This one-group pretest-posttest, designed within a subject study, looks to compare the effects of an outdoor nature walk (ONW) to those of a virtual nature walk (VRW) on memory and cognitive function. Implications are discussed for education as well as for the world of virtual reality.
Methods:
Sixty-four healthy university students were asked to complete an ONW and a VRW, which was created using 3D video of the same nature trail used for the ONW. The VRW condition involved a five-minute walk on a treadmill, while wearing a virtual reality mask (Oculus, San Francisco, USA) that projected a previously recorded three-dimensional capture of the same nature walk they experienced outdoors. Both experimental conditions lasted approximately 5 min and were counterbalanced between participants. A Digit Span Test (Digit) for working memory and a Trail Test (TMT) for executive function were administered to all study participants, immediately before and after each type of walk.
Results:
For executive function testing (Trail Making Test), our results demonstrate that both the ONW and VRW condition improved the TMT time, when compared to a baseline (ONW 37.06 ± 1.31 s vs. 31.75 ± 1.07 s, p < 0.01 and VRW 36.19 ± 1.18 s vs. 30.69 ± 1.11 s, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the ONW and VRW groups. Similarly, for the Digit memory task, both conditions improved compared to the baseline (ONW 54.30 ± 3.01 vs. 68.4 ± 2.66, p < 0.01 and VRW 58.1 ± 3.10 vs. 67.4 ± 2.72, p < 0.01). There was a difference at the baseline between the ONW and VRW conditions (54.3 ± 3.01 vs. 58.1 ± 3.10, p < 0.01), but this baseline difference in memory performance was no longer significant post exercise, between groups at follow-up (68.4 ± 2.66 vs. 67.4 ± 2.72, p < 0.08).
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that both a virtual reality protocol and a nature walk can have positive outcomes on memory and executive function in younger adults.
... The majority of the studies were conducted in the USA (n = 11) [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40], Australia (n = 5) [41][42][43][44][45] and Canada (n = 4) [46][47][48][49]. Three studies each were conducted in Norway [50][51][52], Sweden [53][54][55], and the United Kingdom [56][57][58]. Two studies were conducted in Italy [59,60] and the remaining studies were conducted in Finland [61], Germany [62], Poland [63], South Korea [64], and Turkey [65] (n = 1 study per country). ...
... Eleven studies (representing fifteen papers) presented an outcome related to cognitive development: n = 7 nature-based ECE (n = 5 controlled before and after, n = 1 controlled cross-sectional, n = 1 cross-sectional) [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]47,56,59]; n = 1 ECE natural playgrounds (cross-sectional) [60]; n = 1 natural elements within ECE (cross-sectional) [53]; and n = 2 garden-based interventions (uncontrolled before and after) [38,64]. ...
... One eligible study in this exposure category assessed attention in children who attended ECE setting with high-quality environments (i.e., large spaces, vegetation, trees, etc.) versus those who had a low-quality environment [53]. The authors found that the two domains of attention: hyperactivity (p = 0.069) and inattention (p < 0.05) were associated (i.e., better) in schools with high-quality environments, and inattention was significantly associated [53]. ...
This systematic review synthesised evidence on associations between nature-based early childhood education (ECE) and children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. A search of nine databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if: (a) children (2–7 years) attended ECE, (b) ECE integrated nature, and (c) assessed child-level outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles and assessed study quality. Synthesis included effect direction, thematic analysis, and results-based convergent synthesis. One thousand three hundred and seventy full-text articles were screened, and 36 (26 quantitative; 9 qualitative; 1 mixed-methods) studies were eligible. Quantitative outcomes were cognitive (n = 11), social and emotional (n = 13), nature connectedness (n = 9), and play (n = 10). Studies included controlled (n = 6)/uncontrolled (n = 6) before-after, and cross-sectional (n = 15) designs. Based on very low certainty of the evidence, there were positive associations between nature-based ECE and self-regulation, social skills, social and emotional development, nature relatedness, awareness of nature, and play interaction. Inconsistent associations were found for attention, attachment, initiative, environmentally responsible behaviour, and play disruption/disconnection. Qualitative studies (n = 10) noted that nature-based ECE afforded opportunities for play, socialising, and creativity. Nature-based ECE may improve some childhood development outcomes, however, high-quality experimental designs describing the dose and quality of nature are needed to explore the hypothesised pathways connecting nature-based ECE to childhood development (Systematic Review Registration: CRD42019152582).
... Furthermore, children tend to be more physically active in terms of steps/minute when playing in a forest than on a traditional playground (Pysander et al., 2024). Contact with nature is also supportive of children's cognitive development and school achievement, making it easier for them to regulate attention and exercise self-discipline (Dadvand et al., 2015;Martensson et al., 2009;Taylor & Kuo, 2009). ...
... More versatile and adventurous activities, socalled 'risky play' include mechanisms, which has caught the particular interest of scholars in psychology Sandseter, 2010). Risky play is a type of open-ended activity, changing while evolving, which is common when children play outdoors (Dyment & Bell, 2008;Martensson, 2004;Martensson et al., 2009). ...
Global urbanisation reduces greenery and species richness (biodiversity) and limits opportunities for most children to gain experiences of nature. Disconnecting children from nature has implications for their play, health, well‐being, and comprehension of ecological systems, as well as their engagement with the environment as adults.
In the competition for land for built infrastructure, the preservation of remaining greenery is essential to fulfill multiple functions. One way forward is to look for synergies between conservation of biodiversity and children's need for outdoor environments of high quality.
In this paper, we synthesize the existing literature on how to understand the many interfaces between children and nature, suggesting perspectives and tools for the management and design of nature‐based play settings. We frame this transdisciplinary perspective using ‘play biotopes‘, as a conceptual framework in which both children's play and species are taken into account.
We exemplify how the play biotope framework can be put into practice as part of (1) an overall approach to landscapes made more useful to both children and other species, (2) affordances for play in nature such as branches from dead wood, and (3) a design process of a playground by giving input to nature‐based solutions.
A conclusion is that play biotopes as a conceptual framework within nature‐based solutions can help increase play and biodiversity by promoting structures for climbing, making huts and biotopes otherwise overlooked in urban planning.
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
... Several key studies have provided empirical support for the connection between natural environments and attention restoration. In a study conducted by Martensson et al. (2009), on the healing effect of open green spaces, it was determined that children improved their attention skills more when they were playing outside in more woodland, heathland, and hills compared to other environments with less green. Similarly, Chawla (2015) revealed that greater access to green spaces and proximity to these areas for a longer time, is positively associated with higher concentration, increased memory greater self-control, and academic achievement. ...
... Especially, being in the natural outdoors can reduce aggression and crime in urban settings (Kuo & Sullivan, 2001a, 2001b and may positively affect a child's ethical development and behavior (Damasio, 1994(Damasio, , 2003. Additionally, a growing number of studies proved that, child's experience with nature ensures great contribution to general conditions such as self-regulation, social and emotional learning already apparent in the early childhood period (Martensson, et al., 2009;Monti, Farne, Crudeli, Agostini & Minelli, 2017;Ulset, Vitaro, Bredgen, Bekkhus & Borge, 2017). In line with the above-mentioned points, it is obvious that whether short-term contact with nature or long-term activities, naturerelated work and experience positively affect the developmental areas of children. ...
The subject of the article is the role of nature in learning as an essential part of the Montessori Philosophy in early childhood education. This article highlights the use of nature-based activities within Montessori’s pedagogical perspective for including content about the natural world in early childhood settings. In this paper, it is aimed to increase the awareness of learning through nature on child development and to disseminate nature-based practices used in line with the Montessori approach in preschools. Firstly, the role of nature as an educational tool is described, followed by an understanding of nature pedagogy and its educational value according to Maria Montessori. Additionally, the article reviews the implementation of nature-based learning activities as an integral part of the educational work in Montessori schools. In this educational stream, nature-related work stands as the main methodical means for early childhood education and supporting the development of children. Nature in itself serves as a kind of special resonance and restorative effect that can help children understand the world and impart meaning to their lives. Subsequently, recommendations for nature-based practices that can be applied in preschools were presented in light of the Montessori philosophy. This article has also been converted into a book titled "Learning through nature in the light of Montessori philosophy: Principles and methods."
Keywords: nature-based education; Montessori education; role of nature; nature-based activities
... Hazard ratio of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by quintiles of vegetation percentage (250 m) and quintiles of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 Note: All models adjusted for including maternal age, paternal age, maternal body mass index, maternal parity, birth weight, season of birth, gestational age, infant sex, education, household income, residential instability, material deprivation, dependency and ethnic concentration * : statistically significant at 0.05 significance level Kuo 2009, 2011;Kuo and Faber Taylor 2004;Mårtensson et al. 2009;Taylor et al. 2001;Wells 2000). Second, while previous studies have examined the effects of both greenness and air pollution on ADHD (Aghaei et al. 2019;Markevych et al. 2018;McCormick 2017), we are unaware of population-based cohort studies that have also included noise exposure. ...
... Second, while previous studies have examined the effects of both greenness and air pollution on ADHD (Aghaei et al. 2019;Markevych et al. 2018;McCormick 2017), we are unaware of population-based cohort studies that have also included noise exposure. Third, most previous studies adopted cross-sectional designs with relatively small sample sizes (Amoly et al. 2014;Kuo 2009, 2011;Kuo and Faber Taylor 2004;Mårtensson et al. 2009;Taylor et al. 2001;Wells 2000), while only a few studies examined large population-based cohorts (Dadvand et al. 2017;Donovan et al. 2019;Markevych et al. 2018;Thygesen et al. 2020a). Fourth, this is one of few epidemiological studies (Jarvis et al. 2021) to employ a novel and precise greenness exposure metric of vegetation percentage in association to health, in addition to the traditionally used NDVI. ...
Background
Emerging studies have associated low greenspace and high air pollution exposure with risk of child attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Population-based studies are limited, however, and joint effects are rarely evaluated. We investigated associations of ADHD incidence with greenspace, air pollution, and noise in a population-based birth cohort.
Methods
We assembled a cohort from administrative data of births from 2000 to 2001 (N ∼ 37,000) in Metro Vancouver, Canada. ADHD was identified by hospital records, physician visits, and prescriptions. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to assess associations between environmental exposures and ADHD incidence adjusting for available covariates. Greenspace was estimated using vegetation percentage derived from linear spectral unmixing of Landsat imagery. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated using land use regression models; noise was estimated using a deterministic model. Exposure period was from birth until the age of three. Joint effects of greenspace and PM2.5 were analysed in two-exposure models and by categorizing values into quintiles.
Results
During seven-year follow-up, 1217 ADHD cases were diagnosed. Greenspace was associated with lower incidence of ADHD (hazard ratio, HR: 0.90 [0.81–0.99] per interquartile range increment), while PM2.5 was associated with increased incidence (HR: 1.11 [1.06–1.17] per interquartile range increment). NO2 (HR: 1.01 [0.96, 1.07]) and noise (HR: 1.00 [0.95, 1.05]) were not associated with ADHD. There was a 50% decrease in the HR for ADHD in locations with the lowest PM2.5 and highest greenspace exposure, compared to a 62% increase in HR in locations with the highest PM2.5 and lowest greenspace exposure. Effects of PM2.5 were attenuated by greenspace in two-exposure models.
Conclusions
We found evidence suggesting environmental inequalities where children living in greener neighborhoods with low air pollution had substantially lower risk of ADHD compared to those with higher air pollution and lower greenspace exposure.
... Helena Nordh evaluated the environmental components of small urban parks and found that grass, shrubs, trees, pedestrian traffic, and the number of utilities were the keys to restorative effects [25]. Mårtensson evaluated the restorative potential of green outdoor environments for children and showed that large areas of trees, shrubs, and large, integrated outdoor areas increase the restorative potential of the environment [35]. In addition to exploring the effects of natural environmental elements on restorative effects, some studies have also assessed the restorative properties of the environment through various artificial environmental settings (e.g., public facilities, pavilions, sidewalks) and the fact that restorative potentials are also directly influenced by spatial layouts and activities. ...
Restorative environments have a positive impact on improving the physical and mental health of the elderly. In China, the proportion of elderly residents in aging urban communities is significantly higher than in newly constructed ones, making it essential to understand the restorative potential of public open spaces (POSs) in these settings to promote the development of aging-in-place models. To investigate this issue, we employed the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to construct an evaluation system for the restorative potential of public open spaces. Subsequently, we assessed the restorative effects of POSs in the Dabeizhuang community using 320 residents’ questionnaires and the fuzzy comprehension evaluation method. The results indicate that the dimension of safety is the most critical factor in creating restorative environments. In contrast, the dimension of comfort is the primary reason affecting the current evaluation of the community’s restorative environment. By establishing a restorative environment evaluation system, this research will facilitate the creation of more restorative environments in urban areas, thereby promoting active and healthy aging among elderly residents.
... According to Wilson (2008), one of the best ways to improve children's holistic development is spending time in natural settings. Many research studies revealed regular interaction with nature can nurture children's physical health (Fjørtoft, 2004), motor skills (Fjørtoft, 2001), and attention span (Mårtensson et al., 2009). The benefits of interaction with the nature is clear for children's development and biophilic tendencies. ...
The current research examined the effectiveness of four-week nature-based education program on young children's affinity toward nature (biophilia). The sample of the study is comprised of 40 preschools children between the age of 60 to 66-month-old residing in Mersin, Turkey. Children's biophilic tendencies were measured before and after the intervention to gauge the effect of their regular interaction with nature and play in such an environment. Children's biophilia were measured using a visually supported scale that included both biophilic and non-biophilic items. A quasi-experimental design with one group pre-test and post-test design were employed to measure the difference in biophilic tendencies before and after the intervention was given. The results showed that a short-term, nature-based education program in a natural area was effective in terms of increasing children's affinity toward nature. The improvement in children's level of biophilia after the implementation of the program was statistically significant.
... The significant area of green space in the origin area increases people's inclination to choose their destination from the same origin. Green spaces not only provide natural landscapes but also enhance the environment through beautification, air purification, reduction of noise pollution, and shade, which attract WTs [50]. Previous studies have also found a positive correlation between WTs and green spaces [51,52]. ...
Walking has been recognized as an important mode of transportation in recent years, and recent research has improved travel demand models for walk trips. One important added stage is the distribution of walk trips, which can be evaluated using destination choice models. Previous studies have overlooked the importance of origin trip attributes in the destination choice of walk trips. With the aim of improving destination choice models for discretionary home-based walk trips, a questionnaire based on the previous day’s walk trips was used, and 422 trips were collected from individuals. A discrete choice logit model is used for discretionary trips by utilizing policy-related variables, such as origin-sensitive variables, land-use-related variables, and socio-economic conditions of individuals. Additionally, a solution is proposed to address the issue of data scarcity in considering the choice set. The results demonstrate that origin land-use (LU) variables, such as LU diversity index and access to green spaces, as well as socio-economic variables, like age and homeownership status, are statistically significant in the destination choice of discretionary home-based walk trips. One prominent result is that reducing the diversity of unattractive LU compared to increasing the diversity of attractive LU has a greater impact on the destination choice of such trips. Specifically, a 1% increase in the diversity of attractive LU in the origin area leads to a 0.031% increase in the probability of choosing a destination within that area, while a 1% decrease in the diversity of unattractive LU results in a 0.124% increase in the probability of choosing a destination within the area. The findings can be utilized in urban LU distribution and assessing their impact on destination choice for walk trips, ultimately informing future urban planning efforts in the context of pedestrian mobility.
... Green schools provide a large amount of outdoor time for children, and these experiences have an impact on the children's cognitive development (Joyce, Chundeli, & Vijayalaxmi, 2023). Research indicates that children who play in green areas have better overall fitness, cognitive function, concentration levels, and behavioral skills (Mårtensson, 2009;Kelz, Evans, & Röderer, 2015). Children's responsibility and positive social relationships are fostered by school outdoor environments (McCormick, 2017). ...
The increasing apprehension regarding the standard of educational settings, especially in metropolitan areas, has led to a focus on incorporating natural aspects into school spaces due to their possible cognitive advantages. This study employs a qualitative methodology to explore the firsthand experiences of children who are fully engaged in green school environments. The objective is to reveal the complex relationship between natural surrounds and cognitive development. The study examined N = 6 students aged 12-16 years and N = 4 teachers aged 25-35 years from two schools. The criteria for the selection of schools were to select those that have green spaces. This qualitative research strongly supports the idea that green spaces in schools are essential for creating a positive and effective learning environment. Green space areas in the school provide cognitive development for learners. Green space areas have an impact on the school learning environment as well. In this study, it has been found that there is a high need for green spaces in schools in Karachi for the holistic development of the children. Because students feel relaxed, comfortable, and active. Students are positive about spending time in green school spaces.
... Research has documented how greenery including indoor plants and vistas toward the surroundings can support wellbeing and productivity among office workers (Bringslimark et al., 2007;Lottrup et al., 2013;Gilchrist et al., 2015;Hyvönen et al., 2018). More specifically, there are mechanisms in proximity to green and blue settings supporting mental restoration (Kaplan, 1995), making it easier for children to concentrate and manage school (Mårtensson et al., 2009;Kuo et al., 2019). There are also indications of contacts with nature having effects on the socio-emotional development of children and youth (Mygind et al., 2021) and being supportive in their development of various life-skills (Chawla, 2015). ...
Introduction
The development of outdoor spaces for work and study is part of a larger transition toward sustainable communities, which can take advantage of more flexible ways of organizing everyday life. Governance processes supported by physical spatial changes have the potential to bring together various actors and experts for local development. The aim of this study was to explore the possibilities of developing outdoor spaces for work and study in a collaborative process.
Methods
The study involved an upper secondary school, a local government administration, local businesses and research. The process took place in a South-Swedish small town and included developing outdoor areas for tasks traditionally carried out indoors, participatory workshops and meetings followed up through questionnaires and interviews.
Results
Overall, the introduction of outdoor places was positively evaluated, but engagement varied across actors and over time, and a number of obstacles and challenges in the process were identified.
Discussion
The study showed how vital it is to anchor ideas for place-making locally and having key persons in leading positions with allocated time to support the process. It also indicates how decisive spatial changes can be and how important it is that any physical intervention becomes an integrated part of a wider local process in order to make an imprint on local life and pedagogical practice.
... In addition to the educational benefits of outdoor activities, spending time outdoors promotes physical activity and is favourably associated with multiple health parameters in preschool children, including motor and cognitive development, night sleep and overall well-being (Carson et al. 2017;Söderström et al. 2013;Veldman, Paw, and Altenburg 2021), with access to green spaces having a beneficial role for children´s socioemotional development in particular (Mårtensson et al. 2009;Mygind et al. 2021;Tzoulas et al. 2007). Public health actors, therefore, recommend an overall increase in children´s opportunities to play outdoors Tremblay et al. 2015). ...
This article investigates views and discourses on outdoor play in preschool teachers talks about their playgrounds and outdoor practices in Swedish preschools. Included were a strategic sample of teachers from newer, larger preschool facilities with more programmed outdoor space, and teachers from older, more traditional facilities containing more nature. Through interviews with 38 teachers at 21 preschools and a thematic analysis inspired by socio-material theory, we identified three main themes: The meanings and limits of free outdoor play, the view on nature and children’s encounters with nature,and dangers and risks in the playground. Within these themes, we show how the teachers’ views construct discourses related to the outdoor educational places and spaces that are available. Furthermore, changes in preschool curricula as well as in the playground material and design are active agents in constructing discourses on outdoor play, including risks and limitations, beyond teachers’ own beliefs on children’s needs
... Nature also has healing properties on the learning activities of children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Many studies examining the relationship between the time children spend in nature and their ability to focus on the work they do show that children with attention disorders can increase their concentration and improve their focusing skills during the lesson after the time they spend outside (Wells, 2000;Kuo & Faber Taylor, 2004;Mårtensson et al., 2009;Akpınar, 2016;Bogenç, 2021;Yılmaz et al., 2023). ...
Outdoor classrooms, one of the oldest educational approaches that have existed, bringing learning through the common denominator with nature to the agenda, first emerged in England as a reform movement in education at the end of the 1950s. Outdoor classrooms are a rare educational structure allowing students to interact with nature and experience the opportunities of this interaction with their fully digitalised interaction potentials. In the study, examples of open-air classrooms, which are almost nonexistent in Turkey, have been analysed with inductive content analysis by understanding them with the semi-structured interview technique conducted with architects and landscape architects who are teachers and practitioners. In the end, considering all the evaluations, it was determined that the effects of outdoor classes on students were grouped into four categories; effects on cognitive, psychomotor, development, affective and social development. Beyond only using a theoretical approach, exemplary outdoor classroom models were developed and interpreted.
... Studien ger också naturen agens genom att hävda att den i sig själv utmanar barnen till fysisk aktivitet (Fjørtoft 2004). Flera studier lyfter också naturvistelsers positiva effekter på mental hälsa, uppmärksamhet och koncentrationsförmåga (Gill 2014;Mårtensson et al. 2009;Wilson 1996). ...
En bild säger mer än tusen ord Barns perspektiv, positioner och påverkansmöjligheter i förskolans dokumentationspraktik CATARINA WAHLGREN Abstract Wahlgren, C. 2023. En bild säger mer än tusen ord. Barns perspektiv, positioner och påverkansmöjligheter i förskolans dokumentationspraktik. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Social Sciences 207. 153 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-1713-7. The overall aim of this thesis is to examine children's perspectives, positions and possibilities for participation in Swedish preschool documentation practice. The empirical data consists of 1575 photographs from six preschool classes located in different suburban areas. The thesis includes four articles that examine different aspects of the practice of pedagogical documentation. In the first article the children's own stories about the photographs are analysed. In the second article, notions of the child from photographs presented on the preschool walls and from the Swedish Curriculum for the Preschool are compared. The third article examines the content and circulation of digital photographs. Finally, the fourth article explores how children are portrayed in photographs of outdoor activities. All articles are grounded in theories about power and knowledge production, such as discourse theory, and discuss intersections between age, gender, ethnicity and class. The results show that children are capable of creating their own stories in interaction with photographs. However, their stories tend to be gender specific although the photographs mediate gender neutrality. The children mainly described their mutual relationships and, to a lesser extent, the displayed activities. The photographs align with trends of schoolification and masculine-coded production and accomplishment, while care and play are made invisible in the photographs. However, the outdoor photographs, stand out in the sample as they make children visible as sensitive and closely attached to nature. Unlike indoors photographs, outdoor photographs visibilized feminine-coded values as desirable. Outdoor and digitally circulated photographs often displayed children as anonymous, and as neutral in terms of gender and ethnicity. This could be positive since children were able to include themselves in activities represented in the photographs. At the same time, the photographs became impersonal and sometimes insipid; as the anonymisation made children's experiences and knowledge production invisible. The thesis concludes that notions of the child, communicated in preschool photographs, are conform and make competence appear as production and accomplishment, while alternative ways of being a preschool child are made invisible. Therefore, a feminist definition of professionalisation is suggested in order to increase children's participation and incorporate alternative stories in preschool knowledge production, which, in turn, can challenge the notion of the competent child.
... The study calculated the Sky View Factor at 1.5 meters above ground in summer in order to further illustrate the environmental characteristics around each measurement point (Fig. 1). Basically, the sky view factor determines how much of the sky is covered by trees and buildings from a given location on the ground (Martensson et al., 2009). ...
... For example, Faber Taylor and colleagues (2002) found that girls (but not boys) in inner-city Chicago who had more visual access to green space from their window performed better on tasks that measured inhibition (e.g., withholding a response), self-control (i.e., delay of gratification) and working memory/ concentration (i.e., tasks that required directed attention). Similarly, 4-to 6-yearold children attending preschools with outdoor areas that included many trees and shrubs and a hilly terrain were rated by preschool staff as showing fewer inattentive behaviors than did children in preschools with outdoor areas lacking these features (Mårtensson et al., 2009; see also Dadvand et al., 2015;Wells, 2000). Furthermore, there is evidence that a walk in a green space as compared to a walk in an urban setting improved performance on a measure of working memory (i.e., backward digit span) in children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Faber Taylor & Kuo, 2009). ...
... The key words for this stage are inner city, determinant, children, overweight, obesity, prevention, walking and United States, and the studies focus on assessing urban outdoor environments from the perspective of children [30], starting by linking play to physical activity. Children's education is a key element in this stage, in which play enhances children's learning, moderately restorative school environments stimulate children's potential, and children's exposure to natural elements enhances their understanding, their creativity, their interaction with the world and their benefit from the environment [31]. Children's health also plays a key role in this stage, in which promoting children's play reduces childhood obesity rates and improves children's physical fitness [32]. ...
Playability is an attribute that refers to the ability to stimulate individual responses or collective action in an immersive activity in an exploratory way. Playability is an important component of the enjoyment and well-being of urban dwellers, has the potential to stimulate urban vitality and is an important expression of the inclusiveness and equity of urban space. The pursuit of economic development and efficiency-oriented urban construction has led to the domination of urban space by overcrowded traffic, economy-oriented commerce and densely populated housing. Moreover, the existence of playable space has become a scarce resource and is seen as a site for the materialisation of social rights. As the haze of the COVID-19 pandemic fades and cities are again exposed to wider and more participatory use, determining how to adapt urban spaces to the playability needs of users of different ages, cultural backgrounds and social classes, and provide them with appropriate site use and experience, is becoming a hot issue of concern for building equitable and high-quality urban spaces. The study of the playability of urban spaces is highly complex, and the related research on social justice is cryptic. In order to better investigate the social equity aspects of urban playability, this paper integrates scientometric and manual methods to review the relevant research. This paper takes 2664 related papers from the Web of Science (WOS) core dataset from 1998 to 2022 as the research object and employs CiteSpace to organise the existing research results of playful urban spaces. Quantitative analysis is used to clarify the theoretical foundations, developments and research hotspots of urban spatial playability, while the manual collation and generalisation of the studies uncover the hidden issues of social justice research. Based on the proposed research method, we summarize the key three research stages related to urban spatial playability and social equity. We also discuss the development of urban spatial playability in the perspective of social justice from three aspects: micro, meso and macro. The results can help readers better understand the current status and development process of research on playful urban space. In particular, we clarify the issues related to social justice under the theme of the playability of urban spaces and provide directions for future research on building playful cities and promoting the development of urban socio-spatial equity.
... Increasing the number of windows assessed and the heterogeneity of views may allow more robust evaluation of our finding. This finding is similar to a Swedish study that found that young children at schools with high numbers of large trees, but not sky views, had lower levels of attention problems [70]. However, it is in contrast to studies reporting a preference for sky views from windows [39,40] and for the importance of sky views for regulating the circadian rhythm [41,42]. ...
Exposure to nature views has been associated with diverse mental health and cognitive capacity benefits. Yet, much of this evidence was derived in adult samples and typically only involves residential views of nature. Findings from studies with children suggest that when more greenness is available at home or school, children have higher academic performance and have expedited attention restoration, although most studies utilize coarse or subjective assessments of exposure to nature and largely neglect investigation among young children. Here, we investigated associations between objectively measured visible nature at school and children’s behavior problems (attention and externalizing behaviors using the Brief Problem Monitor Parent Form) in a sample of 86 children aged seven to nine years old from 15 classrooms across three schools. Images of classroom windows were used to quantify overall nature views and views of specific nature types (sky, grass, tree, shrub). We fitted separate Tobit regression models to test associations between classroom nature views and attention and externalizing behaviors, accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, residential deprivation score, and residential nature views (using Google Street View imagery). We found that higher levels of visible nature from classroom windows were associated with lower externalizing behavior problem scores, after confounder adjustment. This relationship was consistent for visible trees, but not other nature types. No significant associations were detected for attention problems. This initial study suggests that classroom-based exposure to visible nature, particularly trees, could benefit children’s mental health, with implications for landscape and school design.
... With respect to cognitive benefits, systematic reviews have found moderate evidence for the association between green space around schools and academic performance [119][120][121]. Specifically, in green schoolyards, preschool staff observed fewer behaviors of inattention in children who played in outdoor areas that contained large areas of trees, shrubbery, and a hilly terrain [122]. Intervention studies have shown that primary school children who played on a green schoolyard during recess performed better on an attention task after recess than those who played on a conventional schoolyard [12,112]. ...
To provide children more opportunities to interact with nature, an increasing number of schools are ‘greening’ their schoolyards by including abiotic and biotic elements such as vegetation, sand, water, logs, and stones. Although the value of these green, nature-rich schoolyards is increasingly acknowledged, research has focused on a narrow set of child development outcomes. This paper presents a conceptual framework that gives insight into the potential short- and long-term benefits of green schoolyards related to children’s physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and moral development, and the pathways through which they may occur. We argue that a green schoolyard can facilitate diverse behaviors and activities, provide sensory and embodied nature experiences, provide a restorative environment, support biodiversity, and provide a resilient environment that supports climate resilience and mitigates environmental nuisance. These five functions of green schoolyards can act as pathways to help foster healthy child development. In doing so, the framework provides guidance for future research. Although more research is needed to validate the conceptual framework, it seems that through the proposed pathways, green schoolyards can be a promising nature-based intervention to promote healthy child development.
... Most of these studies adopted cross-sectional designs in terms of the temporal scale and examined the immediate effects of exposure to nature on the well-being of children (Markevych et al., 2014a,b). Some studies employed longitudinal research designs, for example, pre-move/post-move measures, and generally found positive correlations between moves to greener dwelling environments and children's improved cognitive functioning and overall psychological well-being (Mårtensson et al., 2009;Wells, 2000). Researchers also used different methods to evaluate the outcome aspects of psychological well-being, which mainly included standardized tests, such as the Perceived Restorative Components Scale for Children (PRCS-C) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), as well as bio-indicators such as heart rate variability (Bagot, 2004;Bagot et al., 2007;Goodman, 2001;Mygind et al., 2018). ...
... For young children, green spaces are associated with lively forms of open play, high levels of physical activity [12], better sleep, and a slimmer body [13]. Children who played in large and integrated outdoor areas with vast areas of trees, shrubs, and hilly terrain were found to have fewer attention problems [14]. Higher levels of biodiversity in residential areas are also linked to the better respiratory health of children [15]. ...
A window view affects a person’s well-being and comfort. The effect of visual contact with nature on people depends on the quality of the outside scenery, which in turn depends on parameters such as the number of visible layers, the distance to visual elements and environmental information (content) in the window view. Many studies have concluded that views of nature are preferable, while in urban environments a high-quality window view should include greenery. In our study, a survey was conducted among two groups of students at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana, to find out how the respondents perceived urban imageability in a window view. Using the example of five neighborhoods in Ljubljana (Slovenia), which have different urban planning and design concepts and greeneries, we investigated whether respondents perceived the presence of greenery as an important element of visual comfort. They ranked the quality of window views using eight indicators. The analysis of the ranking of the answers showed that the responses were similar for the two survey approaches (with single-selection and with multiple-selection techniques), except for the perception of surface texture. This indicates a common understanding of the role of greenery and an ambiguity in the perception of what is meant by the term 'texture'.
... The school environment has been found to play an important role in the social, emotional, and behavioural wellbeing of children (Gutman & Feinstein, 2008). Access to natural landscapes for play and learning has been linked to increased positive mood and reduced stress, anger, inattention and problem behaviour (Chawla, Keena, Pevec, & Stanley, 2014;Mårtensson et al., 2009;Roe & Aspinall, 2011). An international report on children learning in natural environments brought together evidence from five major reviews focusing on impacts on 'physical health and wellbeing' and 'character capabilities' including "application, self-regulation, empathy, creativity, and innovation, and their capacity to be successful learners" (Waite & Malone, 2016, p. 4). ...
Over the last decade, Forest School (FS) has become a more common part of the educational landscape both in Ireland and in the UK. This paper aims to provide a timely review of research related to FS and begins by situating FS in the broader context of nature-based education and play, before outlining the defining principles and features of FS. The authors then examine the research base for the purported benefits of FS, consider weaknesses of the evidence base and discuss other criticisms that have been levelled at FS. While the prima facie research provides support for the benefits of forest schooling, the conclusions that can be drawn from the research may be limited due to the identified weaknesses of some of the research to date and a somewhat underdeveloped theoretical framework. The authors conclude that additional studies of high quality are required in order to understand the place of FS in the spectrum of pedagogical frameworks, and the potential of FS in the context of the current discourse on wellbeing in education. A number of the big questions that remain in terms of FS as a useful and evidence-based approach in education are discussed.
... In three studies instruments were used to assess the play potential of the nature-based outdoor environment. Mårtensson et al. (2009), for example, used the outdoor play environment categories (OPEC) tool, which gives a higher score to environments with large integrated spaces with plentiful greenery and varied topography compared to small areas where open spaces, play structures and vegetation are placed in separate parts of the environment. Richardson and Murray (2016) used the early childhood environment rating scale (ECERS) to assess the nature-based environment, but this tool is developed to assess indoor classrooms and is not adapted for outdoor spaces. ...
Play in nature-based environments in childhood education has positive benefits for child development. Although previous reviews showed the benefits of play in nature-based environments for child development they did not attempt to understand how and why nature-based environments contribute to play quality. This review aims to explore the value of play in nature-based environments compared to non-nature-based environments for developmental outcomes of young children (2–8 year). We searched for studies that investigated the relation between play and nature-based environments on the databases PsycINFO, ERIC, and Web of Science. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were: (1) the study focused on play in/on a nature based environment, (2) the study included participants between the age of 2–8 years, (3) it was an empirical study, (4) the study was conducted in the context of early childhood education (ECE), and (5) the study included participants without special needs or disabilities. Using these criteria we selected 28 qualitative studies with an overall sample size of N = 998 children aged 2–8 years. The studies were synthesized using an adaptation of Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnographic approach. Three overarching themes were found: (1) the aspects of play quality that are related to nature-based environments, (2) the aspects of nature-based environments that support play, and (3) the aspects of teacher-child interactions that contribute to nature play quality. The meta themes resonate with play theories and theories of the restorative value of nature. We draw on the qualitative data to refine and extend these theories, and to come up with a definition of the concept “nature play.” This systematic review also sets a base for future research on play interventions in nature-based environments. We argue that (1) research will benefit from thoroughly conceptualizing the role of play in the development of young children, (2) using the affordances theory research will benefit from moving beyond the individual play actions as a unit of analysis, and (3) from an educational perspective it is important to shift the focus of nature play to its benefits for children’s cognitive development.
... Attention restoration theory (ART) emphasizes four features of environments that could facilitate restoration: being-away, fascination, extent, and compatibility [3]. Past literature shows that there are several specific metrics in mental health that are used to examine children's perceived restorativeness [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Table 1 showcases 13 works in the literature related to children's restorative experience and analyzes the methodologies, descriptions, findings, and outcome measurements for children's perceived restorativeness. ...
Prior studies conducted within the realm of environmental psychology and public health have shown that air pollution exposure exerts significant effects on both physical and psychological well-being, especially for children. The roles of air pollution exposure are being increasingly recognized as essential factors influencing children’s restoration. This systematic review provides an overview of existing knowledge of the impact of air pollution on children’s mental health and restorative experience in both outdoor and indoor environments. A list of keywords for paper selection was derived from a systematic investigation of the literature on children’s restorative environments. A total of 228 studies were initially identified, 18 of which met the eligibility criteria. This systematic review summarizes distinctive categories of air pollutants and discusses the assessments for both air pollution exposure and children’s restorative outcomes. Additionally, 16 barriers in air pollution exposure to children’s restorative experience were identified. The findings of this systematic review were concluded in an integrated framework, which have important implications for developing evidence-based and cross-disciplinary research on the air quality and children’s restoration.
... Learning Many studies have found that exposure to nature results in positive cognitive and social outcomes in children. These positive outcomes include improved cognition through increased use of academics, reflection (Frost 2004, 16) and attention (Mårtensson et al 2009(Mårtensson et al , 1150Taylor and Kuo 2009, 407;Taylor, Kuo and Sullivan 2001, 71;Wells 2000, 790). Flouri, Midouhas and Joshi (2014, 179) found that spending time in nature improves attention, motor skills and self-regulation. ...
Byra, M. (2019). Teaching SPECTRUM style – Part 2. Runner Journal: Alberta Health and Physical Education Council, 50(1), 15-24.
ABSTRACT: This article is the second in a series of three articles on the Spectrum of Teaching Styles (Mosston & Ashworth 2008). The primary purpose of this three-article series is to help teachers expand their toolbox of instructional strategies to meet the diverse needs of their students and the multiple learning outcomes associated with teaching physical education K-12. The focus of this article is on Style C (Reciprocal), Style D (Self-check), and Style E (Inclusion), three styles from the reproduction cluster that include significant student decision making. I describe, provide example scenarios and practical suggestions for implementation, and examine each of the three styles in light of Alberta’s physical education K-12 learning outcomes (Alberta Learning, 2000).
... There was partial agreement between the data sources regarding nature-based ELC being associated with improved children's attention. The transcript analysis suggested improved attention among children which is in agreement with two published studies (Mårtensson et al., 2009;Ernst and Burcak, 2019) while one study had a negative association and one had null results between nature-based ELC and children's attention ability (Carrus et al., 2012;Müller et al., 2017). Domains of executive function were investigated in two studies from the published study data (Müller et al., 2017;Ernst and Burcak, 2019). ...
Nature-based play and learning provision is becoming increasingly popular across the early learning and childcare (ELC) sector in Scotland. However, there remains a lack of understanding of how the program is expected to function. This has implications for program learning and may affect wider rollout of the program. Secondary data analysis of parent interviews (n = 22) and observations (n = 7) in Scottish ELC settings, and review of internationally published studies (n = 33) were triangulated to develop a program theory using the Theory of Change approach. This approach makes a program’s underlying assumptions explicit by systematically demonstrating the relationship between each component: inputs, activities, outcomes, impact, and the contexts of the program. Findings suggested that location of outdoor nature space, affordances, availability of trained practitioners, and transport to location lead to activities such as free play, educator-led activities, and interactions with nature, resulting in longer durations of physical activity, interactions with peers and educators, and increased engagement with the natural environment. These activities are vital for supporting children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Our results demonstrate the value of using secondary data analysis to improve our understanding of the underlying theory of nature-based ELC which can support future evaluation designs. These findings will be of interest to program evaluators, researchers, practitioners, and funders, who find themselves with limited resources and want to better understand their program before investing in an evaluation. We encourage researchers and evaluators in the field of early years and outdoor play in other countries to refine this logic model in their own context-specific setting.
... Furthermore, several studies have linked school access to green spaces, open areas and play structures with higher attention spans and academic achievement among preschool children, middle school students, and adolescents (American Public Health Association, 2016; Dannenberg et al., 2011;Mårtensson et al., 2009;Matsuoka, 2010). Schools are public institutions, but they are also social places in which students develop social bonds and civic life. ...
Schools are public institutions, but they are also social infrastructure. They create social worlds that shape and preserve the surrounding communities. While schools and other public institutions, such as public libraries, have been found to be important structures of social infrastructure, the spatial conditions under which they assume that role has been understudied. This thesis investigates how the relationship between public schools and the surrounding neighborhood may vary depending on the spatial interdependence among their amenities. To identify spatial interdependencies, I conduct the analysis from two perspectives: the school and the neighborhood. I use georeferenced data and square footage of public schools’ amenities and recreational amenities in the neighborhood combined with community demographic information and student enrollment data at the building level for the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Using spatial accessibility foundations, I analyze what recreation amenities are accessible around schools beyond their own, and then I evaluate what is accessible around homes. I then determine how schools' amenities could contribute to recreational accessibility for residents and vice versa. Moreover, I construct measures of spatial dependency to evaluate the degree to which schools depend on neighborhood recreational amenities and vice versa. To examine social relationships beyond spatial interdependency, I conducted semi-structured interviews to understand non-spatial factors that enable or prevent school-community interaction. The results show that spatial interdependencies between schools and the neighborhood could satisfy the unmet demand via potentially shared amenities for recreational and community activities, and that spatial interaction occurs when a need for space emerges from one side or the other. The stronger the interdependency, the higher the likelihood of social interaction. The weaker the interdependency, the lower the probability of social interaction. And where there is no interdependency, a school-community relationship is less likely to be identified. The findings from the qualitative analysis affirmed the importance of bilateral relationships between the community and the schools. Beyond the spatial interdependency, I found physical, social, and administrative factors that enable or prevent school-community interaction. This research offers a methodological contribution that incorporates space into the study of school-neighborhood relationships.
... While all domains of development must be fostered in young children, it is important to emphasize that early childhood is a critical time for children to develop individual physical activity patterns [15]. Experts acknowledge that children should be exposed to ample amounts of PA through both structured and unstructured play inclusive of active outdoor and free play as well as through educational experiences that increase PA capacity [16]. However, contrary to what is known about the benefits of both outdoor play and PA for young children, access to such opportunities have diminished due to such factors as fears of accidents, increased use of technology, and time and space [17][18][19][20]. ...
It is recommended that children ages 3-5 receive 180 minutes of physical activity a day, with at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Despite these recommendations, a majority of preschoolers are not provided opportunities in the early childhood education setting to meet these daily recommendations through either structured or unstructured physical activity. Accordingly, the number of young children identified as overweight or obese over the past couple of decades has increased. Critical to addressing this epidemic is the role of physical activity in the early childhood classroom and its capacity to increase healthy development and lifelong habits for young children. Participants in this study consisted of 23 Pre-K 4 teachers from 5 different preschools across North Mississippi. A phenomenological approach was utilized to determine if the barriers to physical activity implementation in early childhood education classrooms were effectively addressed through the Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Communities curriculum. This was completed by garnering teachers' perceptions of the curriculum through pre- and post-focus groups. Three themes emerged from the data regarding teachers’ perceptions of the Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Communities physical activity curriclum. Those themes are as follows: (a) teacher and student benefits of and engagement with physical activity in early childhood education; (b) shifting the mindset from “fitting it all in” to “making it work with modifications”; and (c) linking it to literacy. The opportunity for young children to participate in physical activity is a critical determinant of their overall health and development. While there has been an overall decrease in opportunities for preschool children to participate in both unstructured and structured physical activity, it is crucial to view physical activity as an essential and integrated component of the curriculum. When viewed through this lens, it provides a foundation that promotes lifelong healthy habits and development of children who become happy, healthy, and productive citizens in society.
Nature-Based Models And Practices In Early Childhood Education (Featuring Activity Samples) endeavors to present teacher candidates, educators, school administrators, and parents by combining theory and practice on nature-based education. It aims to heighten awareness of the influence of nature-based learning on the development of preschoolers and to advocate for the integration of nature-based education approaches in kindergartens. The book features research studies that showcase the expansive and profound nature of nature-based education. The first section delves into nature's role as an educational tool, the second section explores philosophical foundations and various models to enhance understanding, and the book offers sample activity plans based on nature-based practices, providing valuable guidance. This book is an essential resource for researchers in the field of preschool education.
RESUMO Os benefícios do contato com a natureza são temas em diversos estudos. Cada vez mais o aumento das horas em contato com a natureza tem sido considerado uma forma de tratamento para transtornos como o Transtorno do Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH). No entanto, ainda existe pouca produção científica que aponte os benefícios educacionais para as crianças, em especial aquelas com diagnóstico prévio de TDAH. Nesse capítulo abordaremos as diferentes questões envolvendo os benefícios do contato com a natureza na educação de crianças com TDAH, pontuando os principais marcadores e alterações verificadas no sistema nervoso central. Palavras-chave: ADHD. Atenção. Espaços verdes INTRODUÇÃO Se falo na Natureza não é porque saiba o que ela é, Mas porque a amo, e amo-a por isso… Alberto Caeiro, heterônimo de Fernando Pessoa. A problemática acerca da relação Homem-Natureza sempre esteve presente na reflexão filosófica, tendo sido formulada, representada e problematizada no decorrer dos tempos. É, portanto, uma questão recorrente da história da Filosofia, estando no limiar dos pensamentos do filósofo Baruck Espinoza, por exemplo, através da noção de que não podemos conceber a natureza sem o homem nem o homem sem a natureza. Concebendo autonomia e dignidade à Natureza, Espinosa Relação sociedade-natureza, saúde e educação: reflexões multidisciplinares 56
Purpose:
Examine in preschool-aged children: (1) the associations between parental-reported and device-measured outdoor play (OP) and health indicators of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development and (2) whether associations were independent of outdoor moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA).
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 107 participants. Children's OP was measured via a parental questionnaire and the lux feature of accelerometers. Children's growth, adiposity, and motor skills were assessed as physical development indicators. Visual-spatial working memory, response inhibition, and expressive language were assessed as cognitive development indicators. Sociability, prosocial behavior, internalizing, externalizing, and self-regulation were assessed as social-emotional development indicators. Regression models were conducted that adjusted for relevant covariates. Additional models further adjusted for outdoor MVPA.
Results:
Parental-reported total OP, OP in summer/fall months, and OP on weekdays were negatively associated (small effect sizes) with response inhibition and working memory. After adjusting for outdoor MVPA, these associations were no longer statistically significant. OP on weekdays was negatively associated with externalizing (B = -0.04; 95% confidence interval, -0.08 to -0.00; P = .03) after adjusting for outdoor MVPA. A similar pattern was observed for device-based measured total OP (B = -0.49; 95% confidence interval, -1.05 to 0.07; P = .09).
Conclusions:
Future research in preschool-aged children should take into account MVPA and contextual factors when examining the association between OP and health-related indicators.
Background: Studies indicate that access to nature may increase
general human health and wellbeing. As a learning environment,
the outdoors can also positively influence children’s personal and
social growth, healthy development, wellbeing and learning abil-
ities. To maximise the potential offered by outdoor learning, it is
necessary to gain deeper understanding of its implementation,
particularly in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.
Purpose: This review study sought to explore a small subset of
relevant literature in detail, in order to identify and describe the
noted benefits and challenges of implementing outdoor learning in
early childhood.
Method: A narrative synthesis was undertaken. In total, 20 studies
from 10 different countries on learning outdoors during ECEC were selected for in-depth analysis and synthesis. The benefits and challenges of outdoor learning implementation in ECEC were identified and categorised using thematic analysis.
Findings: The analysis yielded a detailed description of the opportunities, preconditions and resources for outdoor learning. Six data- driven categories emerged (i) children’s holistic development; (ii) health and wellbeing; (iii) multimodal, hands-on learning opportunities; (iv) experiences in and of nature; (v) teachers as mediators; and (vi) the organisation of outdoor learning. Overall, these categories suggested that three main elements need to be considered when planning and implementing outdoor learning: as well as providing experiences in and of nature for children, outdoor learning may benefit the holistic wellbeing and well-rounded development of children and can offer multimodal, hands-on learning opportunities. According to the analysis, one of the main challenges related to teachers’ understanding and knowledge around organising and
implementing outdoor learning opportunities for young children.
Conclusion: In addition to highlighting the compelling potential
benefits of outdoor learning in ECEC, the study findings draw
attention to the need for teachers to be supported in developing
the required competences to implement outdoor learning. In parti-
cular, introducing multimodal outdoor learning into educational
practice necessitates pre- and in-service teacher education and
professional development.
Green space matters for mental health but is under constant pressure in an increasingly urbanising world. Often there is little space available in cities for green areas, so it is vital to optimise the design and usage of these available green spaces. To achieve this, experts in planning, design and nature conservation need to know which types and characteristics of green spaces are most beneficial for residents' mental health.
A scoping review of studies that compare different green space types and characteristics on mental health was conducted. A total of 215 (experimental, observational and qualitative) papers were included in the scoping review.
This review highlights a high level of heterogeneity in study design, geographical locations, mental health outcomes and green space measures. Few of the included studies were specifically designed to enable direct comparisons between green space types and characteristics (e.g. between parks and forests). The included studies have predominantly experimental research designs looking at the effects of short‐term exposure to green space on short‐term mental health outcomes (e.g. affect and physiological stress). More studies enabled only indirect comparisons, either within the same study or between different studies.
Analysis of the direction of the mental health outcomes (positive, neutral, negative) from exposure to various types and characteristics of green space found positive (i.e. beneficial) effects across all green space types. However, green space characteristics did appear to render more diverse effects on mental health, which is especially the case for vegetation characteristics (e.g. higher vegetation density can be negative for mental health).
The scoping review reveals gaps in the present evidence base, with a specific need for more studies directly comparing green space types and characteristics within the same study. Proposed future research directions include the use of longitudinal research designs focusing on green space characteristics, considering actual exposure and systematically addressing heterogeneity in factors influencing the relation between green spaces and mental health (e.g. type of interaction, user experience).
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Numerous studies have demonstrated that urban green spaces (UGSs) benefit human health, but few have focused on the influence of weather on environmental restorativeness. This study assessed how different weather conditions and environments affect human health. We exposed 50 participants to different UGS environments under cloudy and sunny conditions and collected physiological, psychological and aesthetic preference data. The result showed that the physical and mental benefits of UGSs were stronger on sunny days (pulse: [t = 2.169, p < 0.05]; positive affect: [Z = −10.299, p < 0.001]; perceived restortiveness: [Z = −3.224, p < 0.01]). The spaces with exposed sky had greater physiological restorativeness on sunny days; the spaces with calm water had greater emotional restorativeness on cloudy days, and natural spaces with less sky exposure had greater perceived restoration in both weather conditions. The spaces with water and less sky exposure promoted psychophysiological restoration in both weather conditions. This study demonstrates that weather significantly influences the restorative potential of UGSs, and there are also restorative variations in different green space environments under two weather conditions. In future UGS planning practices, it would be advisable to select appropriate environmental types and features based on the climatic characteristics of different regions. For instance, in areas with frequent overcast conditions, incorporating serene water bodies could be advantageous, while regions with predominantly sunny weather should encompass spaces with expansive sky views. By conducting comprehensive research on restoration environments that take weather conditions into account, new insights and nature-based solutions can be provided for creating healthy human habitats in the context of global climate change.
Urban parks and gardens are where people go to reconnect with nature and destress. But do they all provide the same benefits or are some better than others? What specific attributes set some green spaces apart? Can we objectively measure their impact on mental health and well-being? If so, how do we use this evidence to guide the design of mentally healthy cities?
The Contemplative Landscape Model unveils the path to answer
these questions. Rooted in landscape architecture and neuroscience, this innovative concept is described for the first time in an extended format, offering a deep dive into contemplative design and the science behind it. In the face of the global mental health crisis, and increasing disconnection from nature, design strategies for creating healthier urban
environments are what our cities so sorely need.
This book delves into the neuroscience behind contemplative
landscapes, their key spatial characteristics, and practical applications of the Contemplative Landscape Model through case studies from around the world. Landscape architects, urban planners, students, land managers, and anyone interested in unlocking the healing power of landscapes will find inspiration here.
Forest school is a form of outdoor learning that takes children into regular and
repeated learning experiences in natural settings. Being based on a comprehensive
experience with nature, it is assumed to be benefcial for learning and to promote
restorative efects on cognitive and emotional function in preschool children. This
review aimed to examine the available evidence on the benefts of forest school compared to indoor school activities in children aged 3 to 6 years. We searched for studies on forest school for preschool children in PsycInfo, JSTOR, and Scopus, with no
restriction on publication year. The risk of bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs’s
criteria for quasi-experimental design. Of the 190 articles identifed, 16 studies were
reviewed (N=1560). Higher benefts were found in children attending forest school
compared to those attending indoor school in various areas of child development:
cognitive function, motor coordination and balance, connectedness to nature, and
health and well-being outcomes. There is, however, still a shortage of empirical evidence, and the methodological quality of most studies was limited. The literature on
forest schools for preschool children in general supports positive efects in a wide
range of variables that promote child health and development, but more evidence is
needed to assess their efectiveness. Due to the methodological weaknesses of the
reviewed studies, one should interpret their fndings with caution.
Bu araştırma, MEB Okul Öncesi Eğitim Programında bulunan sosyal-duygusal, dil ve öz bakım kazanımlarının doğa temelli öğrenme ile ilişkisinin incelenmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Araştırma kapsamında, doküman incelemesi yöntemiyle program ilgili beceriler yönünden içerik analizi yapılmıştır. Araştırmacılar, bu becerilere ait kazanım ve göstergeleri literatür ile eşleştirmiş ve doğa temelli öğrenme ile ilişkisini incelemiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre dil gelişimi alanında sesleri ayırt etme, sesini uygun kullanma, dili iletişim amacıyla kullanma, sözcük dağarcığını geliştirme, dinlediklerinin/izlediklerinin anlamını kavrama ve çeşitli yollarla ifade etme ile görsel materyalleri okuma kazanımlarının doğa temelli öğrenme ile ilişkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sosyal-duygusal gelişim alanında kendini yaratıcı yollarla ifade etme, bir olay ya da durumla ilgili olumlu/olumsuz duygularını uygun yollarla gösterme, bir işi ya da görevi başarmak için kendini güdülenme, farklılıklara saygı gösterme, değişik ortamlardaki kurallara uyma, estetik değerleri koruma, kendine güvenme, toplumsal yaşamda bireylerin farklı rol ve görevleri olduğunu açıklama ile başkalarıyla sorunlarını çözme kazanımlarını desteklediği görülmüştür. Öz bakım alanında ise dinlenmenin önemini açıklama, günlük yaşam becerileri için gerekli araç ve gereçleri kullanma, kendini tehlikelerden ve kazalardan koruma ile sağlığı ile ilgili önlemler alma kazanımlarının yer aldığı bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak, Okul Öncesi Eğitim Programı’nda doğa temelli öğrenmeyi destekleyecek kazanımların bulunduğu ve okul öncesi dönemin etkili bir şekilde ele alınması için doğa temelli öğrenmeyi desteklemesi gerektiği düşünülmektedir.
Children’s outdoor free play, which is characterized by intensive physical engagement and diverse social interactions, plays a unique role in early childhood development and education. However, existing scales cannot comprehensively measure children’s performance in outdoor free play. The research purpose of this study was to develop and validate an Outdoor Free Play Scale for Children-Preschool Version (OFPS-P) with good reliability and validity, in order to provide a practical tool for teachers to understand the level of children’s outdoor free play. Based on the review of existing scales of children’s play and the uniqueness of children’s outdoor free play, we developed a scale with 12 items and validated the scale with two samples of preschool children with exploratory (nsample1 = 140) and confirmatory (nsample2 = 241) factor analyses. Four factors were identified in this scale: physical fitness, approaches to learning, social interaction, and imagination. The results indicated good reliability and validity of OFPS-P, which can be used to evaluate preschool children’s performance on outdoor free play and to support teachers’ effective support in outdoor play activities in kindergartens.
In this paper, we characterise outdoor spaces and play opportunities in 12 Portuguese early childhood settings (ECS), extending scientific knowledge about how outdoor environments are commonly organised and used in Portugal. To achieve this goal, we developed an observation tool (GO-Exterior) based on scientific literature concerning design and planning of outdoor play environments. The study reveals that most outdoor environments lacked important features to provide interesting opportunities for children’s play, with significant deficits in terms of natural areas and materials, loose objects and diversity in surfaces or topographies. Data gathered support the need for specific policies and strategies to improve outdoor play opportunities in ECS. GO-Exterior can potentially support further studies in this area, providing important data for interventions in early childhood centres following a play value perspective on the design of outdoor spaces.
Do experiences with nature—from wilderness backpacking, to plants in a preschool, to a wetland lesson on frogs, promote learning? Until recently, claims outstripped evidence on this question. But the field has matured, not only substantiating previously unwarranted claims but also deepening our understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship between nature and learning. Hundreds of studies now bear on this question, and converging evidence strongly suggests that experiences of nature boost academic learning, personal development, and environmental stewardship. This brief integrative review summarizes recent advances and the current state of our understanding. The research on personal development and environmental stewardship is compelling although not quantitative. Report after report—from independent observers as well as participants themselves—indicate shifts in perseverance, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, and resilience after time in nature. Similarly, over fifty studies point to nature playing a key role in the development of pro-environmental behavior, particularly by fostering an emotional connection to nature. In academic contexts, nature-based instruction outperforms traditional instruction. The evidence here is particularly strong, including experimental evidence; evidence across a wide range of samples and instructional approaches; outcomes such as standardized test scores and graduation rates; and evidence for specific explanatory mechanisms and ‘active ingredients’. Nature may promote learning by improving learners’ attention, levels of stress, self-discipline, interest and enjoyment in learning, and physical activity and fitness. Nature also appears to provide a calmer, quieter, safer context for learning; a warmer, more cooperative context for learning; and a combination of “loose parts” and autonomy that fosters developmentally beneficial forms of play. It is time to take nature seriously as a resource for learning—particularly for students not effectively reached by traditional instruction.
ABS TRACT: Childhood is a very important age period and often has been overlooked. As unawareness that many behavioral traits affect experiences of the early years of our lives so the environment in action and learning during the operation, play a crucial role. When it comes to in public areas and keeping with their peers, children could learn many life circums tances, known as social behaviors. This s tudy aims to inves tigate the role of green space playgrounds in children's development. For this s tudy, six playgrounds in Shiraz have been considered. This s tudy is combinational and has used the library method for data collection, the indirect and field view. In the indirect method, 200 ques tionnaires were randomly dis tributed between parents and children 9 to 12 years in playgrounds, residential complexes, schools, parks. And then we try to analyze the data by using s tatis tical methods and the SPSS20 software. The results of this research showed that green space in the playground has a great effect on the growth and development of children, and this has led to the emotional-social and cognitive development of children.
Objectives. Although in recent years more and more scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of outdoor educational activities on the harmonious development of children, in Romania outdoor education is not practiced enough and even is less promoted. The aim of this study was, on the one hand to see to what extent and in what form teachers currently practice outdoor educational activities, and, on the other hand to study the expectations of students, teachers and parents to carry out more outdoor educational activities.
Methods and sample. The research was carried out as a foreplay to a national campaign to promote outdoor education, initiated by three Romanian non-governmental organizations that encourage outdoor education and carry out educational activities outside. It was carried out in the pandemic period of the Coronavirus, therefore three online questionnaires were addressed to students, teachers and parents of students. A sample of 3770 questionnaires were completed by students in mainstream schools (from the 3nd to 12th grade), 1907 questionnaires completed by teachers, and 3644 questionnaires completed by parents.
Results. In an overwhelming proportion, 94% of students and 95.5% of parents would like some of their school activities to take place outdoor, while only 2.1% of students said that they currently carry out educational activities in the open air.
Conclusions. Half of the students (56.6%) wish for more than 3 hours of outdoor educational activities per week. In average, teachers would like to spend outdoors with students between 10-30 hours of teaching activity per year, and 44.7% of parents would like more than 60 teaching hours per year to take place outdoors. In Romania, several more studies are needed to show the importance and the educational value of outdoor educational activities and outdoor play for the holistic development of children. It is also imperative to amend legislation and official documents to ensure that children are properly educated and they play outdoors during the school year. Outdoor education and physical activity should become part of children’s daily routine and special attention should be to its potential for development.
Amaç: Bu çalışma, COVID-19 küresel salgını nedeniyle açık alanlara ve doğaya erişimleri azalan okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının doğaya karşı bakış açılarının ortaya konması ve doğa temelli eğitim etkinliklerine katılan çocukların gözlemlerinin aktarılması amacı taşımaktadır. Yöntem ve Araçlar: Bu araştırma bir durum çalışmasıdır. Araştırmada durum çalışmasına ilişkin ayrıntılı veri toplayabilmek için yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniği ve katılımcı gözlem kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada İstanbul ilinde yer alan özel bir anaokuluna devam eden 20 çocukla görüşme yapılmıştır. Görüşme sonrası doğa temelli eğitim etkinliklerine katılan çocuklar, programa alındıklarında 6 hafta katılımcı gözlem tekniği ile gözlemlenmişlerdir. Araştırmada elde edilen veriler, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme sorularının derlenmesi ile betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlar: Çocuklar doğayı daha çok hayvanlar ve bitkiler üzerinden tanımlamaya çalışmışlardır. Bazı çocukların yaşadıkları bölgedeki yeşil alanlara erişimlerinin sınırlı olması ve yapılandırılmamış ortamlara erişimlerinin az olması dikkat çekicidir. Doğa ile ilgili sevmediği bir şey konusunda çocukların, hayvanlar kategorisinde biyofobik cevaplar verdikleri görülmüştür. Çocukların dışarı çıkma faaliyetleri ve doğa ile ilişkili faaliyetlerinin farklılaştığı görülmektedir. Gözlemler sonucunda küçük çocukların doğa temelli eğitim deneyimlerinin doğaya karşı bakış açılarını geliştirebileceği söylenebilir.
This article is an ethnographic study of children's production and participation in play and games in an Italian preschool and an afterschool program in a Swedish elementary school. Most traditional theoretical and empirical work on children's play and games has focused on the contributions of these activities for children's development of social, cognitive and communicative skills. Other research has extended this developmental focus by examining play and games as valued activities in children's production, organization and maintenance of their peer cultures. This article extends this work by examining play and games as part of a process of interpretive reproduction in children's lives. We demonstrate how children in the production of play and games simultaneously use (as well as refine and develop) a wide range of communicative skills, collectively participate in and extend their peer cultures, and appropriate features of, and develop an orientation to, the wider adult culture.
Attention Restoration Theory suggests that contact with nature supports attentional functioning, and a number of studies have found contact with everyday nature to be related to attention in adults. Is contact with everyday nature also related to the attentional functioning of children? This question was addressed through a study focusing on children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This study examined the relationship between children’s nature exposure through leisure activities and their attentional functioning using both within and between-subjects comparisons. Parents were surveyed regarding their child’s attentional functioning after activities in several settings. Results indicate that children function better than usual after activities in green settings and that the “greener” a child’s play area, the less severe his or her attention deficit symptoms. Thus, contact with nature may support attentional functioning in a population of children who desperately need attentional support.
ADHD is one of the most common referrals to school psychologists and child mental health providers. Although a best practice assessment of ADHD requires more than the use of rating scales, rating scales are one of the primary components in the assessment of ADHD. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to provide the reader with a critical and comparative evaluation of the five most commonly used, narrow-band, published rating scales for the assessment of ADHD. Reviews were conducted in four main areas: content and use, standardization sample and norms, scores and interpretation, and psychometric properties. It was concluded the rating scales with the strongest standardization samples and evidence for reliability and validity are the ADDES, the ADHD-IV, and the CRS-R. In determining which of these to use, the prospective users may want to reflect on their goals for the assessment. The ACTeRS and the ADHDT are not recommended for use because they are lacking crucial information in their manuals and have less well-documented evidence of reliability and validity. Conclusions and recommendations for scale usage are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 341–361, 2003.
The sky view factor (SVF) is used in forest, road and urban climatology to characterise radiative properties. We now propose
a method suitable for forest canopies using the raster based and commercially available software IDRISI. It uses quadratic
pixels in rows and columns in a scanned equiangular fish-eye image. A threshold value is chosen to divide the image into sky
and non-sky areas. The resulting image is then multiplied with a sky view weight image, where the weights of the pixels depend
on the angular distance from zenith. The sum of pixel products gives the SVF. Quality analysis of the method is also performed.
The choice of threshold value gives some uncertainties due to leaves reflecting sunlight. This error will be reduced by observing
details (branches etc.) in the image and by choosing an overcast day for capturing the image. The precision range for SVF
calculations will be better than 0.1.
The present study explored how a natural environment in Norway provides a stimulating playscape for kindergarten children, and how different features in the landscape afforded play activities. The impact of such outdoor activities on children’s motor fitness was tested, and a better improvement was found in the experimental group compared to the reference group. Significant differences (p<. 01) were found in balance and co-ordination abilities. The study indicated a probable relation between all-round play in the natural environment and the effect on motor development in the children.
Key words: Children and environment, landscape as playscape, play habitats for children, affordances for play, motor development.
Children growing up in the inner city are at risk of academic underachievement, juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancy, and other important negative outcomes. Avoiding these outcomes requires self-discipline. Self-discipline, in turn, may draw on directed attention, a limited resource that can be renewed through contact with nature. This study examined the relationship between near-home nature and three forms of self-discipline in 169 inner city girls and boys randomly assigned to 12 architecturally identical high-rise buildings with varying levels of nearby nature. Parent ratings of the naturalness of the view from home were used to predict children's performance on tests of concentration, impulse inhibition, and delay of gratification. Regressions indicated that, on average, the more natural a girl's view from home, the better her performance at each of these forms of self-discipline. For girls, view accounted for 20% of the variance in scores on the combined self-discipline index. For boys, who typically spend less time playing in and around their homes, view from home showed no relationship to performance on any measure. These findings suggest that, for girls, green space immediately outside the home can help them lead more effective, self-disciplined lives. For boys, perhaps more distant green spaces are equally important.
Some parks, preserves, and other natural areas serve people well; others are disappointing. Successful design and management requires knowledge of both people and environments.With People in Mind explores how to design and manage areas of "everyday nature" -- parks and open spaces, corporate grounds, vacant lots and backyard gardens, fields and forests -- in ways that are beneficial to and appreciated by humans. Rachel Kaplan and Stephen Kaplan, leading researchers in the field of environmental psychology, along with Robert Ryan, a landscape architect and urban planner, provide a conceptual framework for considering the human dimensions of natural areas and offer a fresh perspective on the subject. The authors examine.physical aspects of natural settings that enhance preference and reduce fear ways to facilitate way-finding how to create restorative settings that allow people to recover from the stress of daily demands landscape elements that are particularly important to human needs techniques for obtaining useful public input
In the general population, attention is reliably enhanced after exposure to certain physical environments, particularly natural environments. This study examined the impacts of environments on attention in children with ADHD.
In this within subjects design, each participant experienced each of three treatments (environments) in single blind controlled trials. Seventeen children 7 to 12 years old professionally diagnosed with ADHD experienced each of three environments-a city park and two other well-kept urban settings-via individually guided 20-minute walks. Environments were experienced 1 week apart, with randomized assignment to treatment order. After each walk, concentration was measured using Digit Span Backwards.
Children with ADHD concentrated better after the walk in the park than after the downtown walk (p = .0229) or the neighborhood walk (p = .0072). Effect sizes were substantial (Cohen's d =.52 and .77, respectively) and comparable to those reported for recent formulations of methylphenidate.
Twenty minutes in a park setting was sufficient to elevate attention performance relative to the same amount of time in other settings. These findings indicate that environments can enhance attention not only in the general population but also in ADHD populations. "Doses of nature" might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool in the tool kit for managing ADHD symptoms.
Records on recovery after cholecystectomy of patients in a suburban Pennsylvania hospital between 1972 and 1981 were examined
to determine whether assignment to a room with a window view of a natural setting might have restorative influences. Twenty-three
surgical patients assigned to rooms with windows looking out on a natural scene had shorter postoperative hospital stays,
received fewer negative evaluative comments in nurses' notes, and took fewer potent analgesics than 23 matched patients in
similar rooms with windows facing a brick building wall.
We examined the impact of relatively "green" or natural settings on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms across diverse subpopulations of children.
Parents nationwide rated the aftereffects of 49 common after-school and weekend activities on children's symptoms. Aftereffects were compared for activities conducted in green outdoor settings versus those conducted in both built outdoor and indoor settings.
In this national, nonprobability sample, green outdoor activities reduced symptoms significantly more than did activities conducted in other settings, even when activities were matched across settings. Findings were consistent across age, gender, and income groups; community types; geographic regions; and diagnoses.
Green outdoor settings appear to reduce ADHD symptoms in children across a wide range of individual, residential, and case characteristics.
Introduction: Today most children in the Nordic countries who are one to six years of age attend day care centres. Earlier studies have shown an inverse relation between outdoor activity and absence from day care centres due to illness. Our objective was to describe the outdoor environment of day care centres, factors important to the children's outdoor stay during different seasons and weather conditions. Materials and methods: A questionnaire mailed to 100 day care centres in a defined area of the Stockholm region concerning the number of children, educational profile and estimated time spent outdoors in good, as well as in bad weather during the four seasons and the physical properties of the outdoor environment, was answered by the principal or teachers. Results: Day care centres with an outdoor educational profile had an outdoor environment attached to the centre with good opportunities for play. Children attending these day care centres spent more time outdoors during all seasons except for summer days with nice weather. Children attending day care centres without an outdoor educational profile but with a yard of their own containing a climbing tree or a small grove spent more time outdoors during warm weather (summer, fall and spring with nice weather) than children who did not have access to such a yard. Discussion: The design of »green« and varying outdoor environments attached to child day care centres in the city could include a focus not only on the enjoyment of nature but also on giving children more opportunities for outdoor activity, which may promote the children's health.
The utility of different theoretical models of restorative experience was explored in a quasi-experimental field study and a true experiment. The former included wilderness backpacking and nonwilderness vacation conditions, as well as a control condition in which participants continued with their daily routines. The latter had urban environment, natural environment, and passive relaxation conditions. Multimethod assessments of restoration consisted of self-reports of affective states, cognitive performance, and, in the latter study, physiological measures. Convergent self-report and performance results obtained in both studies offer evidence of greater restorative effects arising from experiences in nature. Implications for theory, methodology, and design are discussed.
The nearby natural environment plays a far more significant role in the well-being of children residing in poor urban environments than has previously been recognized. Using a premove/postmove longitudinal design, this research explores the linkage between the naturalness or restorativeness of the home environment and the cognitive functioning of 17 low-income urban children (aged 7–12 yrs). Both before and after relocation, objective measures of naturalness were used along with a standardized instrument (the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale) measuring the children's cognitive functioning. Results show that children whose homes improved the most in terms of greenness following relocation also tended to have the highest levels of cognitive functioning following the move. The implications with respect to policy and design are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
We compared psychophysiological stress recovery and directed attention restoration in natural and urban field settings using repeated measures of ambulatory blood pressure, emotion, and attention collected from 112 randomly assigned young adults. To vary restoration needs, we had half of the subjects begin the environmental treatment directly after driving to the field site. The other half completed attentionally demanding tasks just before the treatment. After the drive or the tasks, sitting in a room with tree views promoted more rapid decline in diastolic blood pressure than sitting in a viewless room. Subsequently walking in a nature reserve initially fostered blood pressure change that indicated greater stress reduction than afforded by walking in the urban surroundings. Performance on an attentional test improved slightly from the pretest to the midpoint of the walk in the nature reserve, while it declined in the urban setting. This opened a performance gap that persisted after the walk. Positive affect increased and anger decreased in the nature reserve by the end of the walk; the opposite pattern emerged in the urban environment. The task manipulation affected emotional self-reports. We discuss implications of the results for theories about restorative environments and environmental health promotion measures.
A common parameter used to characterize the geometry of urban canyons is the sky-view factor (ψs). Here, two simple alternatives are presented that can be used both objectively and rapidly to estimate ψs. The first method uses a Nikon CoolPix 950 digital camera fitted with a Nikon FC-E8 fisheye lens. The second method involves a LI-COR LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer to measure automatically diffuse non-interceptance (DIFN) light using a fisheye optical sensor. Through a series of intercomparisons for urban canyons of known geometry, the digital camera is shown to provide accurate estimates of ψs. The LAI-2000 also performs well, although it tends to over-estimate ψs (for the conditions considered here, the mean absolute error is 0.04), and has a more restricted set of sky conditions under which it performs well (ideally, uniform overcast skies). For both methods, data collection and post-processing is rapid, and storage of data is straightforward. Thus, mobile data collection is possible which allows detailed information on the spatial variability of ψs in urban areas to be determined. An example of such an application for a small US city, Bloomington, IN, is presented. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society
The child care playground is a landmark site where landscape architects can contribute their skills in a broad and meaningful way. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) states that over 5 million children under the age of five are in out-of-home care settings in the United States. The playground at the child care center has become the surrogate backyard known to a previous generation. Unfortunately, the outdoor environment of these centers typically consists of isolated pieces of equipment in a mono-culture of grass. This `place-less' equipment-based approach to designing play grounds does not speak to the qualities of being outdoors. Additionally, the equipment primarily addresses the physical development of the child. Children's social, emotional, and cognitive development must also be considered. Design processes that explore ways to support other types of development and include the unique aspects of the outdoors are greatly needed to produce quality environments for children. This paper describes a research project conducted in the outdoor play yards at the Child Development Laboratory, Iowa State University. The research hypothesizes that the installation of natural material and other landscape elements into the existing yards will offer additional types of child development (i.e., social, emotional, cognitive). This research involved a `landscape-based' approach to design. Data collection included video documentation and anecdotal field notes of the children (ranging from 2–6 years old) playing in the yards. Qualitative analysis of these data revealed that the installation of plant material and other landscape elements did provide for additional realms of development that where not provided in the existing yards.
Directed attention plays an important role in human information processing; its fatigue, in turn, has far-reaching consequences. Attention Restoration Theory provides an analysis of the kinds of experiences that lead to recovery from such fatigue. Natural environments turn out to be particularly rich in the characteristics necessary for restorative experiences. An integrative framework is proposed that places both directed attention and stress in the larger context of human-environment relationships.
Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in childhood is a major risk factor for skin cancer. Shady environments are recommended as one method of protection.
Environmental exposure to UVR and environmental protection were assessed by dosimeter measurements on 64 children aged 1-6 years at two geographically close and topographically similar pre-schools outside Stockholm. Outdoor play constructions of site 1 (34 children) were mainly exposed to the sun, and those of site 2 (30 children) were mainly shaded. Dosimetry was carried out during 11 work days in May-June 2002 under clear weather conditions. The reliability of dosimeters was tested with meteorologically modelled data from SMHI, and with stationary dosimeters exposed to free sky, and compared with other UV instruments. The differences between children's outdoor stays were adjusted for.
The children's average daily exposures were approximately 200 J(CIE)/m(2) erythemally effective UVR. The average relative UVR exposure (% total available UVR 08:30-18:30) was 6.4% (7.0% at site 1, 5.7% at site 2). Fractions of available UVR during outdoor stay were 14.4% (both sites), 15.3% (site 1), and 13.3% (site 2). In terms of relative differences, 5-6-year-old children at site 2 were exposed to 41% less UVR, and 1-4-year-old children 6% less than those at site 1.
The difference can be explained by the children's outdoor pre-school environments, and the behaviors linked to these environments. It is recommended to consider the attractiveness of shady environments in the design of children's pre-school playgrounds, particularly if these are extremely exposed to the sun.
The physical qualities of outdoor environments are important to trigger healthy behavior in children. We studied the impact of outdoor environments upon spontaneous physical activity and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in 4- to 6-year-old children at 11 preschools in Stockholm county.
In May-June 2004, pedometry and measurement of UV radiation were carried out on 197 children from 11 preschools in Stockholm county. Outdoor environments differed regarding vegetation, topography, space, and education. Ambient global UV radiation data were collected, free sky, and ground surface assessed. Arrival, in- and outdoor stay, and departure were recorded. For analysis, linear mixed model analysis was applied.
In environments with trees, shrubbery, and broken ground, the mean step count/min was 21.5, and mean exposure to UV radiation as fraction of available UV during play outdoors 14.6%. In delimited environments with little vegetation, the mean step count/min was 17.7 and mean exposure fraction to UV radiation 24.3% (P < 0.001, crude). Step/min range was 8.9-30.0 (girls) and 8.8-37.2 (boys), UV radiation exposure range 4-60% (no difference between genders).
Spacious preschool environments with trees, shrubbery, and broken ground trigger physical activity and yield sun protection in outdoor play. As many children attend preschool, access to such environments is recommended in community architecture.
The study was based on the answers to a mailed questionnaire of a simple random sample of respondents from two cities (Helsinki, Tampere) in Finland. Ten determinants of restorative experiences in favorite places (<or = 15 km from home; n=1089) were effective. These determinants included "immediate" use of the favorite place (duration and frequency), personal background of nature experiences (nature orientedness, nature hobbies, childhood nature experiences), and situational factors in life, which were related to stress (hassles at work and with money, satisfaction with life) and to social relations (uplifts of social relations, visiting alone vs. in company). Different variables were associated with restorative experiences in different favorite settings (extensively managed nature areas, built-up green spaces, waterside environments, exercise and activity/hobby areas, and indoor and outdoor urban areas). The concept of "favorite place prescriptions" is introduced as an analogy to "exercise prescriptions" in primary healthcare.
Motivation to move: physical activity affordances in preschool play areas
- N Cosco
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