No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Children's play, well-being and involvement: how children play indoors and outdoors in Norwegian early childhood education and care institutions
Abstract
In this article, we report on a Norwegian study exploring the relationship between children's play, well-being, and involvement, and identify how children play in indoor and outdoor environments at their early childhood education and care (ECEC) institution. In this quantitative study, structured video observations (960 two-minutes sequences) of 80 free play sessions (indoors and outdoors) at eight ECEC institutions were analysed to measure the time spent in different kinds of play types, and to code children's level of well-being and involvement, using the Leuven well-being and involvement scale [Laevers, F. (2005). Well-being and involvement in care settings. A process-oriented self-evaluation instrument. Retrieved from https://www.kindengezin.be/img/sics-ziko-manual.pdf]. The results demonstrated that there was a significant and positive correlation between children's play and their well-being and involvement. Children spent 2/3 of their time in different kinds of play during their free play time in ECEC, and there were significant differences between the types of play children engaged in indoor versus outdoor environments.
... While risk-taking has often been conceptualized as something that children engage in primarily in outdoor spaces to establish boundaries, confidence, and creativity (e.g., Sandseter, 2007), we question the ways that such notions of risk-taking in early childhood play might limit our understandings of the ways young people, and their families, engage in play together. In this article, we follow scholars who explore conceptions of creative risk-taking in teaching and learning (e.g., Balkin, 1990;Beghetto, 2018;Harris, 2004;Henricksen et al., 2001;Storli and Sandseter, 2019) to situate risky play within the contexts of broader sociocultural and sociopolitical risks that families take to consider the ways that risk might go beyond the possibility of physical harm. While we acknowledge that this is a divergence from the traditions of early childhood research that examine risky play as "thrilling and exciting forms of play that involve a risk of physical injury" (Sandseter, 2009, p. 3), we also see a need to extend the ways that play researchers examine risky play in order to better attend to the experiences of those who have been historically marginalized in education research broadly. ...
... 2 Literature review 2.1 Play Play is widely acknowledged as an essential part of child development where young people make sense of the complex ecosystems-social, political, and environmental-within which they live and grow (Storli and Sandseter, 2019). The United Nations (1989) even points to play as a fundamental right of children that supports linguistic and literacy development, physical development, and overall 1 Throughout the paper we use the terms "parents" and "families" to denote any adult-child relationship based in care. ...
Risk-taking in early childhood play is often associated with taking physical risks in outdoor settings. In this study, we explore the notion of “small risks” as a way to examine the how parents and children engage in intergenerational play at a series of informal, indoor pop-up play events that took place at community centers in a large, urban setting. We utilize auto-photography and small stories to examine participants’ self-selected examples of the ways their family units typically engaged in play. Our findings suggest that risk-taking in play, when re-envisioned through the lens of small risks, is more complex and nuanced than previously thought, particularly for families from non-dominant communities.
... According to Storli & Ellen (2019), physical environment plays an important role in the development and learning of children which will indirectly affect their emotions to highly involve and execute free play activities. Children are strongly encouraged to play and explore the environment actively and freely with fun, and they are encouraged to determine their own rules of the game they create (Ministry of Education, 2017). ...
... Children will also learn in a planned environment and explore and gain new and meaningful learning experiences. This is also supported by Storli and Ellen (2019) that the physical environment plays an important role in children's development and learning which can influence children's emotions to be actively involved in stimulating activities. Nevertheless, only one participant disagreed with environmental factor as one of the planning criteria. ...
... Free play outdoors provides active play opportunities seems to influence the level of physical activity during childhood (Nobre et al., 2022). Outdoor free play can also be a very effective tool in achieving this goal by contributing to development through holistic teacher-led learning in the early childhood years (Storli et al., 2019). Unstructured outdoor play can serve as an effective tool to increase phys-ical activity in young children, (Bondi et al., 2020). ...
... Timing should also be arranged in such a way that children are effectively able to carry out free play activities outside the room to stimulate motor development, usually in the morning because in the morning apart from children being present, all can also get vitamins from sunlight (Tsuda et al., 2020). The results of this study revealed that some teachers also complained about the playground facilities and infrastructure available in the early childhood education environment, which should be well available to support the stimulation of children's motor development through free play outdoors (Storli et al., 2019). The availability and completeness of the playground serves as a children's facility to support free play activities in their spare time before entering class, resting or after school, (Whitebread et al., 2017). ...
This study aims to determine the perception and implementation of the relationship between outdoor free-play activities to support students' motor development and teacher involvement during early childhood play. A phenomenological study with the participation of 12 early childhood education teachers who have different backgrounds in the history of teaching experience, age, and gender. The data were obtained through the results of structured interviews conducted for five consecutive days with each teacher. All data was processed using NVivo 11 for Windows which provides a structure for conducting qualitative investigations to uncover this phenomenon. A total of three themes were produced, namely (i) Perception of the importance of free-play for motor development; (ii) Involvement of teachers during free-play activities; and (iii) Time to do free-play activities. However, these findings reveal that not all teachers accompany and supervise every activity carried out by children in outdoor play and do not know how the overall picture of motor development is and the availability of fields and playgrounds is limited. Implications for education policymakers, teachers and families about outdoor free-play. Policy support, policymakers in Indonesia, especially the Ministry of Early Childhood Education to create a conducive environment for outdoor activities, especially when planning school standards and program competencies to support holistic early childhood development. Keyword : Free-play outdoor activities, Motor development, early childhood education, Phenomenological Study.
... The role of arts education provides alternative learning with a particular competency approach in anticipating global competition. Artistic competency is an educational element that focuses on mastering aesthetic abilities and basic knowledge in fulfilling self-actualization (Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019;Wahyuningsih et al., 2020). Mastery of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in art learning fosters an independent, expressive, and creative spirit. ...
... Then, students are made into groups to observe, see, and interact with objects directly. This makes children enthusiastic and creates enjoyable learning (Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019;Wallace et al., 2020;Zhu et al., 2021). Activities that use natural materials provide opportunities for children to be actively involved. ...
The current problem is that people's understanding of art, especially regarding education, still needs to be improved. Teachers must still improve children's aesthetic experiences through nature-based learning and activities. This research aims to analyze art learning models based on natural materials to improve early childhood aesthetic experiences. The research approach used is quantitative, testing effectiveness using quick experiments and a non-equivalent control group design. The population in this study were students from 3 (three) kindergartens, totaling 33 children. The research sample in this study consisted of 33 children. The methods used to collect data are observation, interviews, and tests. Data were analyzed using normality and homogeneity tests. The t-test is also used to analyze learning effectiveness. The data analysis results show a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test in experimental groups 1 and 2. The difference between pre-test and post-test in the control group must be more significant (within the 95% confidence level). There is a difference in the average aesthetic experience of young children who were given action before and after using art learning based on natural materials. It was concluded that the application of an art learning model based on natural materials was effective in increasing aesthetic experiences in young children. The research implications can provide a theory of early childhood creativity in cognitive, affective and psychomotor development.
... R esults of studies from around the globe confirm two important and conflicting things about children's play. First, play positively influences health and wellbeing, and, second, most children in the modern era do not get enough play to reap the rewards it could offer (Brussoni et al., 2012;Genius of Play, 2017;Gleave & Cole-Hamilton, 2012;Koepp et al., 2022;Lee et al., 2021;Mader, 2021Mader, , 2022Sando et al., 2021;Singer et al., 2009;Storli & Sandseter, 2019;Yogman et al., 2018). This situation has led national and global public health organizations to call for an increased emphasis on the provision of time, space, and toys for play (Alliance for Childhood, 2010;Canadian Public Health Association, 2019;Tremblay et al., 2015;World Health Organization, 2019). ...
... Childhood play also positively influences adaptability and coping when children grow to adulthood (Brown, 2009). Furthermore, Storli and Sandseter (2019) documented the benefits of indoor and outdoor play on wellbeing. In Northern Ireland, a survey of 427 parents and caregivers of 5-to 11-yr-old children revealed that children who spent more time playing adventurously had fewer emotional and peer relationship problems (Dodd et al., 2023). ...
The articles for the Special Section on Play highlight the complexity of play and the many ways occupational therapy practitioners study and promote play with children, families, and adults across individual, school, family, political, and cross-cultural settings. The authors of the articles in this issue view the importance of play across the lifespan and through multiple research lenses, including play preference, environmental supports for and barriers to play, the skills required to succeed in play, and the extent to which play is self-determined. The guest editors offer suggestions for how to enhance occupational therapy’s voice in the study and promotion of play as a primary lifelong occupation.
... R esults of studies from around the globe confirm two important and conflicting things about children's play. First, play positively influences health and wellbeing, and, second, most children in the modern era do not get enough play to reap the rewards it could offer (Brussoni et al., 2012;Genius of Play, 2017;Gleave & Cole-Hamilton, 2012;Koepp et al., 2022;Lee et al., 2021;Mader, 2021Mader, , 2022Sando et al., 2021;Singer et al., 2009;Storli & Sandseter, 2019;Yogman et al., 2018). This situation has led national and global public health organizations to call for an increased emphasis on the provision of time, space, and toys for play (Alliance for Childhood, 2010;Canadian Public Health Association, 2019;Tremblay et al., 2015;World Health Organization, 2019). ...
... Childhood play also positively influences adaptability and coping when children grow to adulthood (Brown, 2009). Furthermore, Storli and Sandseter (2019) documented the benefits of indoor and outdoor play on wellbeing. In Northern Ireland, a survey of 427 parents and caregivers of 5-to 11-yr-old children revealed that children who spent more time playing adventurously had fewer emotional and peer relationship problems (Dodd et al., 2023). ...
Occupational therapists view play through a unique lens. Considering play as a human occupation, and one to which all people have a right, places occupational therapists among a special group of professionals championing play. This State of the Science article seeks to increase awareness regarding the occupational therapy profession’s contributions and to situate those contributions within the larger body of literature on play while also promoting further study of play as an occupation.
... Useat aiemmat tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet ulkoleikkien olevan yhteydessä lasten runsaampaan liikkumisen määrään (Lee ym., 2021; Nobre ym., 2022) ja vähäisempään paikallaanoloon (Gray ym., 2015;Larouche ym., 2016), parempiin motorisiin taitoihin (Fjørtoft, 2001;Iivonen & Sääkslahti, 2014;Laukkanen, 2016;Niemistö, 2021;Tortella ym., 2021) sekä kokonaisvaltaisempaan hyvinvointiin ja terveyteen (Lee ym., 2021;McCormick, 2017;Storli & Sandseter, 2019;Tortella ym., 2021;Tremblay ym., 2015). Esimerkiksi tutkimus suomalaisista päiväkotien liikuntaolosuhteista osoitti, että päiväkodin pihan alustojen lukumäärä sekä piha-alueen koko olivat yhteydessä lasten parempiin käsittelytaitoihin. ...
... Luonnon vaihtuvat tarjoumat, kuten sää, vuodenajat ja ympäristö, antavat lapsille vaihtuvia kokemuksia ja erilaisia merkityksiä oppimiselleen. Esimerkiksi puu voi tarjota toiselle lapselle mahdollisuuden kiipeilyyn, kun toinen lapsi käyttää puuta suojanaan tai muihin leikkeihin (Storli & Sandseter, 2019). ...
Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, miten varhaiskasvatusta oikeudellisesti velvoittavissa Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteissa (Opetushallitus [OPH], 2022) ja Esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteissa (OPH, 2016) käsitellään Varhaiskasvatuslain (580/2018) edellyttämiä ja liikuntakasvatuksen määrittelemiä tavoitteita. Aineiston analyysi perustui opetussuunnitelmateoriaan ja asiasanojen merkitysyhteyksien sisällönanalyysiin ja tulkintaan. Tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin, kuinka usein, missä kontekstissa ja minkälaisissa merkityksissä lapsen fyysiseen hyvinvointiin liitetyt termit (digitaalinen, fyysinen aktiivisuus, fyysinen inaktiivisuus, istuminen, keho, koordinaatio, liikkuminen, liikunta, liikuntakasvatus, luonto, media, motoriikka, paikallaanolo, passiivisuus, ulkoilu, urheilu) esiintyivät opetussuunnitelmissa. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa selvitettiin, kuinka opetussuunnitelmat vastasivat liikuntakasvatuksen tavoitteisiin, kasvattaa liikuntaan ja kasvattaa liikunnan avulla. Useimmin opetussuunnitelmissa mainittiin asiasanat: liikkuminen (39 krt), liikunta (28 krt), ja media (21 krt). Sisällönanalyysin mukaan asiasanojen merkitysyhteydet voitiin kategorisoida neljään luokkaan: terveys ja hyvinvointi, kehitys, oppiminen ja yhteistyö. Lisäksi Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteissa tunnistettiin leikin ja kulttuurin merkitysyhteydet. Tutkimus osoittaa, että molemmat opetussuunnitelmat vastasivat liikuntakasvatuksen keskeisiin tavoitteisiin. Tutkimustietoa voidaan hyödyntää varhaiskasvatusta ohjaavien opetussuunnitelmien kehittämiseen lasten fyysisesti aktiivisen elämäntavan varhaisen muodostumisen tukemisessa ja ohjaamisessa.
... Svarbu pažymėti vaikų aktyvumą įsitraukiant į veiklas. Teigiama, kad vaikų gerovės jausmui turi įtakos natūrali ar sukurta ugdymosi aplinka, ypač kai aplinka leidžia jiems būti savarankiškiems ir laisviems, aktyviai įsitraukti į veiklas (Storli, Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Tyrimas atskleidė, kad vaikai yra aktyvesni, jei veikla juos domina ("Vaikams viskas buvo aišku ir įdomu, tad jie labai lengvai ir noriai įsitraukė į veiklą. ...
... Dalyvavimas žaidimuose, aktyviose veiklose, kuriose vaikai patiria džiaugsmą, laisvę ir galimybę tobulėti, yra svarbus jų gerovei. Moksliniais tyrimais nustatyta, kad vaikai, kurie veiklą suvokia kaip žaidimą, yra daugiau susikaupę, dėmesingi, motyvuoti ir geriau jaučiasi atliekdami užduotį (Storli, Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Taigi LEGO education metodika labai priimtinu vaikams būdu sujungia menų ir mokslo disciplinas bei sukuria sąlygas kūrybiškumui bei inovacijoms (Ackermann et. ...
STEAM education inspires children to engage in creative activities, research, enriches their play experience, and should be integrated already at the preschool level, as this level provides the best return on an individual’s motivation and ensures his further development. The article discusses the LEGO education methodology and its benefits in promoting the learning of STEAM subjects. The research aim is to reveal teachers’ views about the development of STEAM skills of preschool children using innovative LEGO education methodology and tools. 12 pedagogues from preschool education institutions in Vilnius, Panevėžys and Telšiai participated in the study, during which pedagogues organized 10 educational activities with STEAM Park and Maker tools according to prepared plans. After each activity, pedagogues reflected on the benefits of the activity for the 4–6 years old children, their achievements, organizational successes, and difficulties. Discussing pedagogues’ reflections on the LEGO education methodology and the results of testing its’ tools allowed to reveal the unique benefits for the growth of children’s achievements such as teamwork, conflict management, leadership, problem solving, learning to learn. Pedagogues noted that the development of STEAM capabilities, active participation of children, learning through personal experience, and experimentation are emphasized. It is also remarkable that children willingly choose LEGO blocks during their free play, which shows the effectiveness and practical usefulness of this innovative methodology.
... Bermain memiliki peran sentral dalam pembentukan sosial emosional anak (Barry, Clarke, & Dowling, 2017;Cheruiyot, 2024;(Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Sebagai aktivitas alami, bermain memberikan kesempatan kepada anak untuk belajar berbagi, bekerja sama, dan menyelesaikan masalah. ...
Aspek perkembangan sosial emosional anak usia dini merupakan salah satu aspek penting yang berkontribusi terhadap kemampuan anak untuk mengelola emosi, berinteraksi dengan lingkungan, serta membangun hubungan sosial yang sehat. Aspek ini mencakup kemampuan anak dalam mengenali dan mengekspresikan emosi secara tepat, serta berpartisipasi aktif dalam kegiatan kelompok. Pada penelitian ini, perkembangan sosial emosional anak usia 5-6 tahun diamati melalui kegiatan permainan membuat bentuk manusia menggunakan berbagai media. Penelitian dilakukan di salah satu TK swasta di Kota Medan dengan melibatkan 10 siswa yang dipilih secara purposive berdasarkan kriteria tertentu, seperti rentang usia dan keterlibatan dalam kegiatan belajar aktif. Penelitian deskriptif ini menggunakan metode observasi dengan instrumen penilaian berbentuk ceklis yang dirancang untuk mengukur indikator perkembangan sosial emosional. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar anak berada pada kategori Berkembang Sesuai Harapan (BSH) pada aspek sosial, sementara aspek emosional lebih dominan pada kategori Mulai Berkembang (MB). Keterbatasan penelitian ini terletak pada jumlah sampel dan hanya fokus pada satu kegiatan tertentu, sehingga disarankan untuk penelitian selanjutnya melibatkan sampel yang lebih besar dan beragam guna meningkatkan generalisasi hasil.
... Σελ έλλνηα ηεο ζπλαηζζεκαηηθήο επεμίαο κπνξνχκε λα ηελ πξνζεγγίζνπκε κέζα απφ ζπκπεξηθνξέο θαη ραξαθηεξηζηηθά πνπ πξνζδηνξίδνπλ ηελ ηθαλφηεηα ηνπ καζεηή λα αλαπηχζζεη ζρέζεηο κε ηνπο ζπλνκήιηθνπο ηνπ θαη ην θνηλσληθφ πεξηβάιινλ θαη λα ξπζκίδεη ηε ζπκπεξηθνξά ηνπ. Αθφκα, ζπκπεξηθνξέο πνπ απνηππψλνπλ ηε ζπλαηζζεκαηηθή επεμία ζρεηίδνληαη θαη κε ηελ ηθαλφηεηα ηνπ καζεηή λα αληηκεησπίδεη ηηο δπζθνιίεο θαη ηηο πξνθιήζεηο ηνπ πεξηβάιινληνο, λα εθθξάδεη ηηο ηδέεο θαη ηηο απφςεηο ηνπ ζε έλα πεξηβάιινλ, πνπ δίλεη αμία θαη ιακβάλεη ππφςε ηε ζπκκεηνρή ηνπ, λα ληψζεη ραξά θαη ηθαλνπνίεζε απφ ηελ εκπεηξία θαη ηε ζπκκεηνρή ηνπ ζηελ εθπαηδεπηηθή δηαδηθαζία (Storli & Beate Hansen Sandseter, 2019). ...
Mental health and emotional wellbeing have been topics of intense interest to the scientific community in recent decades. The field of research in education focuses on the study of students' abilities and skills related to social, emotional, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that contribute to success in adult life. This study attempts to investigate the emotional well-being of pre-school and school-age students and to examine how the implementation of Differentiated Teaching and Learning through the utilization of experiential democratic education programmes is related to development in this area. The participants of the study consisted of two kindergarten classes and two classes of the first primary school with common characteristics. The survey was conducted during the Academic Year 2021-2022. For data collection, both open and free techniques such as diaries, photographic material and quantitative techniques such as observation keys and scales of graded criteria were used. The analysis of the survey data revealed the development of emotional well-being and the enhancement of quality in the education of all children in the context of the implementation of differentiation of teaching through the activities of the educational programme. Taking into account that traditional teaching approaches are unable to respond effectively to the contemporary pluralistic educational reality, Differentiated Teaching and Learning is a challenge for the reconfiguration and modernization of the educational system, while at the same time it can be a powerful tool for facilitating learning aimed not only at academic achievement but also at personal achievement, social, emotional and cultural development.
... As three South African postgraduate primary school teachers, we embarked on memory-work inquiry to explore playful pedagogy and thus broaden our learning and professional practice with the aim of contributing to our learners' ability to learn through play. Play is an essential requirement for all growing children, and they are entitled to the opportunities to learn in this manner (Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). It is in this context that the first author, Khulekani, 1 focused his research on the role of positive behavioural support in the classroom (see Pillay and Pithouse Morgan, 2016). ...
Memory-work is inevitable in any study that uses participants to reflect on their past so the research strategies we used in the study, on which this paper is based, helped us to recall and reflect on our experiences as primary school learners. In this article, we explore memory-work as a self-study approach to educational research that calls on the distinctive personal memories of three South African primary school teachers. The memories we share are positioned in stories as we reminisce on some childhood and adolescent encounters and our reflections expose what we learned from these experiences as narrated in pertinent excerpts. We adopted sociocultural theory since we understand that learners' actions take place in sociocultural settings. This theory allows individuals to understand their learning as being embedded in social experiences. The key notion we discuss is that play enhances learning since it allows children and young people to solve problems, make decisions, and interact as they discuss their ideas. Our voices therefore unite in dialogue, and we reveal our reciprocal learning as we narrate and reflect on our personal memories. Our writing, which is both reflective and questioning as we explore these memories, emphasises the pedagogic meanings we attach to some childhood and adolescent encounters, particularly those that were embedded in childhood culture. Furthermore, our analyses of our voices reveal various emerging perceptions that have strengthened our learning and teaching as educational practitioners. Additionally, the memory-work in which we engaged allowed us to position ourselves in a grateful yet critical position to better understand our past experiences and how these had aided both our educational and social change. In this paper, we aim to promote the use of playful pedagogy for individual growth. It is envisaged that other teachers could foster the sociocultural advancement of learners through a playful pedagogical context.
... Bermain memiliki peran sentral dalam pembentukan sosial emosional anak (Barry, Clarke, & Dowling, 2017;Cheruiyot, 2024;(Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Sebagai aktivitas alami, bermain memberikan kesempatan kepada anak untuk belajar berbagi, bekerja sama, dan menyelesaikan masalah. ...
Aspek perkembangan sosial emosional anak usia dini merupakan salah satu aspek penting yang berkontribusi terhadap kemampuan anak untuk mengelola emosi, berinteraksi dengan lingkungan, serta membangun hubungan sosial yang sehat. Aspek ini mencakup kemampuan anak dalam mengenali dan mengekspresikan emosi secara tepat, serta berpartisipasi aktif dalam kegiatan kelompok. Pada penelitian ini, perkembangan sosial emosional anak usia 5-6 tahun diamati melalui kegiatan permainan membuat bentuk manusia menggunakan berbagai media. Penelitian dilakukan di salah satu TK swasta di Kota Medan dengan melibatkan 10 siswa yang dipilih secara purposive berdasarkan kriteria tertentu, seperti rentang usia dan keterlibatan dalam kegiatan belajar aktif. Penelitian deskriptif ini menggunakan metode observasi dengan instrumen penilaian berbentuk ceklis yang dirancang untuk mengukur indikator perkembangan sosial emosional. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar anak berada pada kategori Berkembang Sesuai Harapan (BSH) pada aspek sosial, sementara aspek emosional lebih dominan pada kategori Mulai Berkembang (MB). Keterbatasan penelitian ini terletak pada jumlah sampel dan hanya fokus pada satu kegiatan tertentu, sehingga disarankan untuk penelitian selanjutnya melibatkan sampel yang lebih besar dan beragam guna meningkatkan generalisasi hasil.
... To our knowledge, there are limited other studies that have measured play vs. non-play in ECEC settings, therefore it is challenging to understand if the high levels of play exhibited within our study are common across the literature. A recent study by Storli et al. 69 reported that 30.9% of their outdoor video observations in ECECs were non-play behaviours. Additional studies 70,71 have measured play and non-play behaviours among older children in school settings and found observed play participation rates between 40.9% and 53.0% at baseline. ...
Participation in outdoor play is beneficial for the health, well-being, and development of children. Early childhood education centers (ECECs) can provide equitable access to outdoor play. The PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO) study is a pilot randomized trial that evaluates the PRO-ECO intervention on children’s outdoor play participation. The PRO-ECO intervention included four components: ECEC outdoor play policy; educator training; ECEC outdoor space modification; and parent engagement. This study included eight ECECs delivering licensed care to children (n = 217) aged 2.5 to 6 years in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Using a wait-list control cluster randomized trial design, ECECs were randomly allocated to either the intervention arm (n = 4) or the wait-list control arm (n = 4). Change in the proportion and diversity of observed outdoor play behaviour during scheduled outdoor time was measured. Outcome data were collected at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. The intervention effect on children’s outdoor play participation was examined using logistic regression mixed effect models. Controlling for gender, weather and temperature, there were no changes in children’s outdoor play participation following implementation of the PRO-ECO intervention in the between-group analysis. Within-group comparisons also revealed no change in play participation following the PRO-ECO intervention, however, the intervention group showed a positive effect (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.70) in play participation 6 months after implementation of the intervention. The findings indicate that further analyses on child- and ECEC-level outcomes collected as part of the PRO-ECO study, including the diversity of children’s play, is required to effectively assess the impact of this intervention.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-85397-1.
... However, these studies focus primarily on objects as affordances for play behavior, with limited attention to children's direct perceptions of their environment (e.g., tables) and immediate actions on these elements. In other words, constructive play as an outcome has been extensively discussed in studies of China (e.g., Ma and Hao, 2024;Luo, 2023) and other countries (e.g., Sandseter et al., 2022;Storli and Hansen Sandseter, 2019) Nevertheless, the transactional process between children and spatial components remains underexplored. This omission indicates that many studies applying affordance theory have focused on interpreting children's environmental engagement through play behaviors, rather than examining direct perception of environmental factors to assess environmental influence on their behavior. ...
Ecological psychology is an approach focused on the perception and behavior of organisms and environments, offering psychological insights for research on children. This study primarily explored the concepts of affordance and behavior setting based on an eco-psychological perspective concerning children’s behaviors and environment. Through a review of previous studies, we differentiated that affordance theory emphasizes children’s direct perceptions of environmental functions, whereas the concept of behavior setting highlights the dyadic relationship between long-term behaviors and environmental material features. However, existing studies on child–environment interactions often overlook children’s immediate actions in the context of affordance theory and fail to account for the dynamic nature of behavior settings. By integrating the distinctive traits of both theories, this study proposes an anticipatory framework based on ecological psychology to guide research on children’s environments, particularly within the indoor spaces of childcare facilities. Future studies should investigate the connections within this framework through field studies of childcare center environments and observations of children’s actions and behaviors during free play to assess congruence with environmental affordances.
... Yet, there is almost universal agreement that play is an essential part of childhood and must be protected, supported and valued (Howard 2019;Whitebread et al. 2012;Zhao et al. 2019). This is especially the case in education where play is increasingly recognised as important for children's development and wellbeing in school contexts (Storli and Hansen Sandseter 2019;Whitebread et al. 2012;Zosh et al. 2017). Further, researchers have called for greater weight to be given to children's perspectives of play in order to ensure that play practices and research authentically capture children's play (Howard 2019;McInnes 2019;Wood 2008). ...
Play is fundamental to childhood yet difficult to define, with the views of the players themselves often overlooked. Sixty-eight children (aged 4 to 13 years) were interviewed across two primary schools in the Republic of Ireland to gain a child-centred understanding of play. Reflexive thematic analysis generated thirteen themes: (1) fun; (2) social; (3) creative and imaginative; (4) physically active; (5) context-dependent; (6) a fundamental childhood experience; (7) happiness and pleasure; (8) toys and materials; (9) games; (10) autonomy and agency; (11) outdoors and nature; (12) competition and challenge; and (13) adult involvement. Implications for education include the need to use children’s conceptualisations of play to create authentic play experiences.
... Therefore, learning tools such as media are needed to improve learning abilities and success. With the help of learning materials, students can understand what they have learned, not only for adults, learning media is very good to use to help children's abilities in their lives because early childhood is often referred to as the "golden age" or golden age because at that age children early childhood has a brain tha t can absorb many things it has encountered (Ellizah et al., 2020;Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). In this study, researchers attempted to stimulate children's initial mathematical knowledge, especially aged 5-6 years, by using learning media in the form of number light. ...
The ability and understanding of basic mathematics in children, especially aged 5-6 years, is still very low or not good, obstacles to recognizing number symbols, obstacles to recognizing the concept of numbers, and obstacles to pronouncing number symbols. The main objectives of the research is to develop a Number Light media with the aim of stimulating children's knowledge of early mathematics in early childhood aged 5-6 years in Kindergarten to improve initial mathematical abilities in children aged 5-6 years in kindergarten. The research carried out selected a development model, namely ADDIE, and involved four experts, including: one media expert, one material expert, and two practitioners with learning experience. This trial was carried out on a large group consisting of 35 children. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using a combined approach between quantitative and qualitative analysis. The evaluation results show a high level of validity of the Number Light media, with media experts reaching 92%, material experts 89%, practitioners 93%, and large group testing 97%. Based on these results, it is concluded that the development of Number Light media is very useful and suitable for stimulating the early mathematical abilities of children aged 5-6 years in kindergarten.
... Hal ini jelas menunjukkan kanak-kanak menimba pengalaman sendiri semasa bermain di persekitaran luar kelas. Storli & Sandseter (2019) berpendapat hubungan sosial di persekitaran luar mempunyai perbezaan yang ketara di mana dapat memberi galakan untuk komunikasi berlaku secara berperingkat seterusnya membantu meningkatkan kesejahteraan kanak-kanak. Faktor landskap yang berfungsi adalah sangat penting bagi menggalakkan pertumbuhan kanak-kanak sekaligus meningkatkan keberkesanan PdPc yang dilaksanakan. ...
ABSTRAK Tadika merupakan institusi pendidikan awal yang memberikan pendedahan kepada kanak-kanak berumur empat hingga enam tahun. Pendidikan awal di tadika merupakan platform utama untuk meningkatkan perkembangan kanak-kanak bagi membolehkan mereka meneroka, memahami dan mengenali dunia dengan mengaplikasikan kaedah bermain sambil belajar. Faktor persekitaran pembelajaran luar kelas yang kondusif dari aspek fungsi, landskap serta sistem permainan yang interaktif turut menyumbang kepada perkembangan psikomotor kanak-kanak. Namun begitu, pelaksanaan pembelajaran dan pemudahcaraan (PdPc) di persekitaran luar kelas kurang dilaksanakan oleh guru-guru tadika atas faktor keselamatan, kekurangan fasiliti serta reka bentuk persekitaran luar kelas. Oleh itu, kajian ini dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti faktor persekitaran pembelajaran persekitaran luar kelas yang mempengaruhi perkembangan psikomotor kanak-kanak tadika. Untuk mencapai objektif kajian, kaedah kualitatif menggunakan pendekatan kajian kes telah dilaksanakan untuk meneroka elemen landskap persekitaran yang sesuai dalam mempengaruhi perkembangan psikomotor kanak-kanak di tadika NCDRC, UPSI, Tanjong Malim, Perak. Seramai 13 informan terdiri daripada wakil guru tadika NCDRC, pegawai seni bina landskap, pensyarah pendidikan awal kanak-kanak dan kanak-kanak tadika NCDRC terlibat dalam kajian ini melalui perbincangan kumpulan berfokus (FGD) dan temu bual mendalam secara individu. Data tambahan diperolehi daripada pemerhatian peserta, analisis dokumen, dan bahan audiovisual. Pendekatan analisis tematik digunakan dalam menganalisis data kajian. Kajian ini menyumbang secara signifikan kepada badan ilmu. Kajian ini juga meningkatkan pemahaman konsep dalam penggunaan landskap luar kelas serta penggunaan ciri-ciri landskap berfungsi sebagai teras mencipta persekitaran yang merangsang dan menyokong perkembangan kanak-kanak secara holistik. Hasil kajian membuktikan bahawa peranan landskap luar kelas sangat penting terhadap perkembangan kanak-kanak tadika. Pengaruh semangat tempat (sense of place)
... Dias and Bento [16] supported that play promotes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being as a natural and engaging activity, providing the necessary conditions for children to grow and develop. By incorporating outdoor learning, children are more encouraged to engage in free play that allows them to harvest necessary physiological, social, and cultural experiences while still in the early stages of life [17]. ...
Outdoor learning encompasses a wide range of educational activities, from local natural play areas to formal school curriculum classes. Despite growing evidence of its benefits, outdoor learning is still underutilized in Malaysia’s early childhood education system. Hence, this study aims to investigate preservice teachers’ perceptions of the impact of outdoor learning on children’s well-being since future teachers’ perception is the most important indicator in predicting their intention to use it in the future. A quantitative approach was used, and the questionnaire was distributed to 63 pre-service teachers studying at Universiti Selangor, Malaysia. Based on the findings, the majority of respondents agree that outdoor learning benefits children’s well-being, especially their social and psychosocial well-being. Thus, this study provides insight into the significance of outdoor learning on children’s learning experiences and that it should be utilized more frequently in the classroom.
... Skipulagning og mat á leikskólastarfi eru mikilvaegur liður í þróun þess og gaeðum en það ferli er samofið daglegu starfi. Einn þáttur sem vinna þarf að í undirbúningstíma er að skapa námsumhverfi sem styður við þátttöku barna í leik, þar sem sýnt hefur verið fram á jákvaeð tengsl milli þess og vellíðanar barna (Laevers, 2017;Storli og Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Mikilvaegt er að bjóða börnum upp á fjölbreytt taekifaeri til þess að leika sér og að leikskólastarfið sé á forsendum barna (Laevers, 2017). ...
Rannsóknin byggir á fræðikenningum um aðkomu barna að leikskólastarfi, þátttöku þeirra og réttindum til að hafa áhrif á daglegt starf. Slíkt krefst virks samráðs við börn og þekkingu og skilning á hvernig best sé að nálgast sjónarmið þeirra. Ein leið til þess að meta gæði leikskólastarfs er að rýna í líðan barna og þátttöku í leik og daglegu starfi þar sem skráningar geta nýst til að skipuleggja nám þeirra. Undirbúningstímar leikskólakennara eru liður í að halda uppi gæðum leikskólastarfs. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að skoða hver hagur barna er af undirbúningstíma leikskólakennara og hvaða tækifæri börn hafa til þátttöku. Tilgangurinn var að koma auga á rými fyrir börn til að hafa aukin áhrif á mótun leikskólastarfs. Tekin voru einstaklingsviðtöl við 24 starfsmenn í 8 leikskólum víðs vegar um landið. Helstu niðurstöður sýna að lengri tími leikskólakennara til undirbúnings leiddi til þess að þeir voru minna með börnum á deildinni sem gat komið niður á gæðum leikskólastarfsins. Áhersla var á að undirbúa starfið, utan deildar, fyrir börnin en ekki með börnunum. Leikskólakennararnir sáu að nota mætti hluta aukins undirbúningstíma til að hlusta betur á börnin og auka þátttöku þeirra í skipulagningu leikskólastarfsins. Til að tryggja betur hagsmuni barna ættu leikskólakennarar því að taka hluta af undirbúningstíma sínum inni á deild með börnunum. Þar geta þeir þróað starfið með því að hlusta betur á sjónarmið barna, gert skráningar á leik og haft samráð við börnin um skipulagningu daglegs starfs. Þannig geta börnin orðið hluti af lærdómssamfélagi leikskóla.
... Dias and Bento [16] supported that play promotes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being as a natural and engaging activity, providing the necessary conditions for children to grow and develop. By incorporating outdoor learning, children are more encouraged to engage in free play that allows them to harvest necessary physiological, social, and cultural experiences while still in the early stages of life [17]. ...
Outdoor learning encompasses a wide range of educational activities, from
local natural play areas to formal school curriculum classes. Despite growing
evidence of its benefits, outdoor learning is still underutilized in Malaysia’s
early childhood education system. Hence, this study aims to investigate pre-
service teachers’ perceptions of the impact of outdoor learning on children’s
well-being since future teachers’ perception is the most important indicator in
predicting their intention to use it in the future. A quantitative approach was
used, and the questionnaire was distributed to 63 pre-service teachers studying
at Universiti Selangor, Malaysia. Based on the findings, the majority of
respondents agree that outdoor learning benefits children’s well-being,
especially their social and psychosocial well-being. Thus, this study provides
insight into the significance of outdoor learning on children’s learning
experiences and that it should be utilized more frequently in the classroom.
... Often, their feelings about their space did not appear to be related to one specific place, situation or resource (see Figure 3). This sense of happiness might be due to a combination of factors, such as autonomy, agency and active engagement in the space (Storli and Hansen Sandseter 2019). In contrast, some children identified external causes which influenced how they felt within their collective play space, such as the weather (Figures 4 and 5): ...
... Similar cycle of investigation was evident in play activities involving coding toys as tools for early learning in STEM (Highfield 2014). Play is a relevant approach for children's learning in ECEC, which is highlighted in the Norwegian context (Storli and Sandseter 2019). ...
... Although all children participate in free play activities with their own preferences and pleasures, there must still be adult supervision, in this case, the teacher (Tan et al., 2020). This involvement is usually related to the safety and prevention of injuries to children when playing freely on the playground (Storli & Sandseter, 2019). In the playground's free-play activities, the teacher has an essential role to play. ...
The development of fundamental motor skills (FMS) is crucial and should begin in early childhood. As of now, several early childhood educators in Indonesia, particularly in West Java, think that incorporating playground games into the classroom curriculum is the best course of action for raising children’s FMS. This study aimed to present statistics on FMS findings for early childhood who have incorporated physical activity into the curriculum and to demonstrate that these results are still in conflict with teachers’ beliefs. Ex post facto research was applied to one of the early childhood education pilot programs in West Java, Indonesia, including a total of 30 kids. This school’s long-standing intervention involves giving children 30 minutes of structured playtime and 30 minutes of unstructured playtime at the start of each learning period. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) was used to measure FMS. The study’s findings showed that both boys’ and girls’ FMS in both locomotor and manipulating components of the movement were very lacking and inversely proportional to teachers’ belief who believe that this activity will improve children’s motor skills. It is recommended that physical education specialists accompany both structured and unstructured play programs conducted on school playgrounds so that the early childhood education curriculum's programs are properly validated to raise children's FMS following Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP).
... A suitable degree of freedom to exercise free will aids in the child's independence at the second stage, Autonomy vs. Shame. Children can play and learn while exercising their autonomy when allowed to engage in free play (Storli & Sandseter, 2019). By using this PBL approach, children get better prepared to operate as adults by improving their emotional intelligence and making a healthy transition from one stage to the next. ...
Play-based learning has been increasingly discussed in existing literature as it enhances holistic child development and facilitates essential life skills. Free play is often regarded as most beneficial for child development allowing children to take charge of their learning and encouraging problem-solving skills and creativity. Free play allows children for independent learning as it helps them to gain essential life skills making it an important aspect of holistic child development. Owing to its autonomous nature, it nurtures emotional, physical and cognitive aspects of the personality in early childhood. Therefore, this review of the literature aims to investigate the role of free play in fostering emotional development during early childhood. The researchers employed a systematic literature review. The existing literature on free play was meticulously studied, following the given guidelines and methodological framework. The existing literature suggests that free play can facilitate the development of emotional intelligence, resilience, emotional expression and coping strategies. During free play, children are free to use their imagination and creativity without adult interference which leads to intrinsic motivation, creativity and self-exploration.
... A suitable degree of freedom to exercise free will aids in the child's independence at the second stage, Autonomy vs. Shame. Children can play and learn while exercising their autonomy when allowed to engage in free play (Storli & Sandseter, 2019). By using this PBL approach, children get better prepared to operate as adults by improving their emotional intelligence and making a healthy transition from one stage to the next. ...
... Aspects of cognitive development, including children's science skills, can be stimulated (Ratnasari, 2020) Children generally have a great interest in outdoor games, so teachers and schools provide facilities, space, and time to allow them to participate (Dahlan, 2019) Learning conducted in the form of play outside the classroom emphasizes how children can demonstrate an activity actively, looking for activities that offer challenges and excitement (Little & Wyver, 2010). The goal is that children interact with the environment, have experience and life skills (Herawati, Fauziah & Syafrida, 2021)), and provide opportunities for children to gain a significant body, social, and cultural experiences (Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Learning outside increases children's interest and perseverance to study an object more carefully in the open (Ervina et al., 2021) Outdoor game activities provide opportunities for children to move actively and involve a variety of rough and smooth muscles, which have implications for improving the physical health of students. ...
The natural environment provides a variety of stimuli to develop skills for direct observation and simple research for early childhood. They are invited to observe, identify patterns, collect data, and make conclusions based on evidence obtained through scientific procedures. These skills are essential in the scientific method and strengthen a child's scientific abilities. This study aimed to determine the skills of children's science processes when playing outdoors. This experimental research with a type of quasi-experimental design, using samples of students in group B of Taman Paud Doa Ibu Kindergarten, totaling 20 students. The results showed that outdoor play activities improved students' scientific abilities with indicators of children's ability to observe, compare, and classify. The results of this study also show that children's enthusiasm for learning and give birth to children's feelings of curiosity are very high.
... Åström et al. (2022) noted that the Swedish preschool curriculum emphasizes child-centeredness, play and contact with nature. In the Norwegian preschool setting, high levels of play have been shown to have a strong relationship with engagement and well-being (Storli, & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). Kernan (2007) emphasizes that in the implementation of preschool education curricula in the Netherlands, the natural environment should be supported and organized in areas for children. ...
This study was conducted to determine the distribution of science and environmental achievements in the "Cognitive Development Area" of the 2018 Turkish Preschool Special Education Curriculum according to the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. The document analysis method, with a qualitative viewpoint, was used in the study. The achievements in “The Cognitive Development” sub-fields of "Science-Scientific Skills and Method" and "Science-Natural, Physical Environment and Life" were analyzed according to the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. For this purpose, 22 learning achievements in the cognitive development sub-fields of "Science-Scientific Skills and Method" and "Science-Natural, Physical Environment and Life" were analyzed. According to the data obtained, a total of 22 learning achievements were classified as factual knowledge-remembering 8, factual knowledge-understanding 2, factual knowledge-applying 3, conceptual knowledge-remembering 2, conceptual knowledge-understanding 4, metacognitive knowledge-understanding 1 and metacognitive knowledge-applying 2. There were no achievements in the sub-dimensions of procedural knowledge, analyzing, evaluating and creating. While a total of 158 achievements are included in the cognitive development field, only 13.92% of them belong to the cognitive development sub-field of "Science-Scientific Skills and Methods" and "Science-Natural, Physical Environment and Life". From this point of view, it may be useful to increase the number of achievements given to science and environment topics. In addition, it was observed that the achievements analyzed did not show a homogeneous distribution according to age levels. In addition, it was concluded that the achievements related to high-level knowledge and cognitive process dimensions that make students more active were not sufficiently included.
... In addition to physical activities, children on playgrounds interact with other children and thus develop social skills (Dymentai & O'Connel, 2013) Interaction with other children on playgrounds contributes to self-regulation, and awareness of their physical capabilities in relation to others and encourages motivation in terms of setting limits and challenges (Miller et al., 2017) It is children of mixed age groups who interact with each other on children's playgrounds, who are successful in developing the aforementioned competencies because they support each other and the older are role models for the younger (Gray & Feldman, 1997;Parrott and Cohen, 2022). Storli and Sandseter (2019) emphasize the connection between functional play and the equipment of children's playgrounds. The results of the research indicate the importance of the elements of children's playgrounds, which play a role in shaping children's perception of play and the functional structure of the game, with which children test the child's function and thereby develop cognitive abilities. ...
The importance of children's stay at children's playgrounds is important for the overall development of children. Numerous studies support children's stay at playgrounds to develop social, cognitive, and psychomotor skills. The goal of this study was to determine the attitudes of parents of early and preschool children about children's stay at playgrounds and parents' experiences with the equipment of children's playgrounds. Also, this study aims to correlate factors that affects children´s visit to playground. For the research, a questionnaire was constructed that contains units that examine the equipment of children's playgrounds, attitudes about the frequency of visits to children's playgrounds, and attitudes about the importance of visiting children's playgrounds. The research is carried out online and includes the population of parents of children of early and preschool age in the Republic of Croatia. The results of this research show the proximity of children's playgrounds, from 100 to 250 meters, to the respondent's place of residence. In all regions, the greatest availability is space for jogging and walking, while the least available space is for table tennis. Multiple regression analysis showed a statistically significant correlation of R=0.45 between visiting children's playgrounds and parents' attitudes and opinions about children's playgrounds. Our results show that the distance of children´s playgrounds largely depends on their attendance, but their equipment is not important for children's physical activity.
... Usia ini sering disebut dengan "the golden age" yang datangnya hanya sekali dan tidak dapat terulang kembali yang sangat menentukan dan mempengaruhi bagi kualitas manusia (Lintang Trenggonowati & Kulsum, 2018). Bermain merupakan bagian terpenting dalam kehidupan anak (Storli & Hansen Sandseter, 2019). ...
Project-based learning is a benchmark point in the Independent Curriculum, especially in driving schools, which in reality, not all institutions at the early childhood education level have implemented Project-based Learning (PjBL). This study aims to describe implementing PjBL activities using loose parts media in the Independent Curriculum in a driving school in early childhood education. This research method is descriptive with a qualitative approach, using data collection techniques of observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. Primary data sources are the principal, 4 class teachers, 19 students, and four parents at Hidayatullah Islamic Kindergarten. Secondary data sources are annual work programs, weekly learning tools, school guidebooks, daily assessments, serial photo assessments, school profiles, infrastructure, and photos of PjBL activities. They are using data analysis techniques (1) data collection, (2) data reduction, (3) data presentation, and (4) conclusion making. The results of the study found that implementing PjBL at the early childhood education level provides learner-centered educational services according to the needs of children's play based on ideas and imagination of children using loose parts media in project work with the teacher's role as a facilitator and motivator.Keywords: Early childhood education; implementation; loose parts media; project based learningAbstrakPembelajaran berbasis proyek menjadi titik tolak dalam Kurikulum Merdeka khususnya di sekolah penggerak yang pada kenyataannya belum semua lembaga di jenjang PAUD telah menerapkan Project-based Learning (PjBL). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan implementasi kegiatan PjBL menggunakan media loose parts dalam Kurikulum Merdeka di sekolah penggerak di PAUD. Metode penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif, menggunakan teknik pengumpulan data observasi, wawancara mendalam, dan dokumentasi. Sumber data primer adalah kepala sekolah, 4 guru kelas, 19 siswa, dan empat orang tua siswa di TK Islam Hidayatullah. Sumber data sekunder antara lain program kerja tahunan, perangkat pembelajaran mingguan, buku panduan sekolah, penilaian harian, penilaian foto berseri, profil sekolah, infrastruktur, dan foto kegiatan PjBL. Menggunakan teknik analisis data (1) pengumpulan data, (2) reduksi data, (3) penyajian data, dan (4) penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menemukan bahwa penerapan PjBL pada jenjang pendidikan anak usia dini memberikan layanan pendidikan yang berpusat pada peserta didik sesuai dengan kebutuhan bermain anak berdasarkan ide dan imajinasi anak menggunakan media loose parts dalam pengerjaan proyek dengan peran guru sebagai fasilitator dan motivator.Kata kunci: Pendidikan usia dini; implementasi; media loose parts; pembelajaran berbasis proyek
... Furthermore, the research shows that working with the physical environment in kindergarten, through developing good play zones both inside and outside, and by adding enough materials and a diversity of materials, strengthens children's opportunities for physically active play (Sandseter & Storli, 2020). Storli and Sandseter (2019) argue that factors other than the physical environment create more physical activity outside. Culture, daily routines and organisation, as well as employee knowledge, perceptions and attitudes will be essential for children to use the opportunities the physical environment provides for physical activity. ...
This report is part of the "Healthy lifestyle of children and youth" project. The report forms the first part of Module 1 and will be used as a knowledge base in the subsequent parts of the project.
The theme of the report is diet and physical activity in kindergarten children, aged 1-6 years. The report has been commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Health and will form the basis for measures to be taken in Poland, to improve the diet and level of physical activity for Polish kindergarten children.
In the report we describe "best practice" measures that either improve the diet or the level of physical activity in kindergarten children, defined as the age group 1-6 years. The settings for the measures are in kindergarten, at home, at various leisure venues or online initiatives.
The target groups for the measures are the children themselves; their parents or guardians (for children 1-6 years); staff in the kindergarten, sports coaches and/or other caregivers for children of kindergarten age. The measures have been tried out on the equivalent target groups in Norway, and occur at national, regional or local action levels. The measures promote healthy habits for kindergarten children in the areas of diet and physical activity.
In the report we have chosen to describe some key characteristics of the Norwegian kindergarten sector in order to put the measures into a context and provide background information. In addition, we briefly describe the status of diet and physical activity for children aged 1-6 years, before the measures are presented.
Within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) the child-centred approach, with all its various and diverse contextual interpretations, is well-established as a cynosure of contemporary theoretical discourses as well as endeavours in everyday practice, at least on a declarative level. Play is positioned as a high priority within the child-centred approach; more specifically, play is conceptualized as the central activity of the child through which they learn. Whilst these two concepts seem to be coherent and based upon similar theoretical underpinnings, there is much room for critical discussion concerning the conceptualizations and rationale behind both of them. This paper discusses how the academic community, in this paper, exemplified by specific policy-makers and early childhood educators in Croatia, see play and child-centredness in the curriculum-framed ECEC context. An e-focus group was conducted with twelve (12) early childhood educators in Croatia, showcasing the educators' uncertainties regarding thinking about and 'doing' play and child-centredness while realising their planned curriculum. The paper concludes with deliberations on the position of adults within child-centred ECEC practice, based on both literature and research results with a potential impact in terms of rethinking ECEC practices as well as documentation practices in Croatia.
Kako bi se uklonile ili ublažile posljedice današnjeg stila života potrebno je sve više tjelesno se aktivirati već od najmlađe dobi. Za postizanje toga potrebno je osigurati adekvatan broj sati tjelesnog vježbanja u cijeloj vertikali odgojno obrazovnog sustava. Iako se većina odgojitelja slaže s važnosti provođenja kineziološke kulture rezultati pokazuju nižu procjenu provedbe, uglavnom zbog okolinskih faktora, najčešće materijalnih uvjeta rada. Loši materijalni uvjeti rada mogu znatno otežavati organizaciju i provođenje tjelesnih aktivnosti u predškolskim ustanovama, no usprkos lošim uvjetima stavovi i motiviranost odgojitelja su ključni za njihovu provedbu. U ovom radu provedena je analiza odgovora odgojitelja o boravku djece i poticanju na igru na vanjskom prostoru te organiziranju tjelesnih aktivnosti s djecom. S obzirom da je motivacija ključna za provedbu nastojalo se doznati postoji li povezanost između provedbe tjelesnih aktivnosti i radnog staža odgojitelja. Pretpostavilo se da su odgojitelji s manje radnog iskustva mlađi i motiviraniji za rad pogotovo u segmentu provođenja tjelesnih aktivnosti, međutim rezultati su pokazali da odgojitelji s više radnog iskustva dnevno više borave s djecom na vanjskom prostoru te da su više puta tjedno provodili organizirane tjelesne aktivnosti s djecom u usporedbi s odgojiteljima koji imaju manje godina radnog iskustva.
Objective
As an increasing number of children are identified as insufficiently physically active, the school environment has been targeted for efforts to promote physical activity (PA) among inactive children. While research has highlighted teachers’ role in promoting generic school-based daily PA, less is known about the early childhood education teachers’ experiences of physically inactive children and the strategies they use to promote PA. This study’s aim was to explore early childhood education teachers in Sweden’s experiences of physically inactive children and their strategies to promote PA among members of this group in their everyday school settings.
Design
Qualitative interview study.
Setting
Four small municipalities in Midwest Sweden.
Method
Ten teachers working in early childhood education settings participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed with a focus on teacher agency and the social, material and cultural resources teachers used to promote PA.
Result
Findings indicated that teachers shoulder the worry and unarticulated responsibility for inactive children. This resulted in their use of strategies that varied and which were largely subjective in character. At the same time, teachers expressed how their agency was limited by insufficient resources.
Conclusion
Teachers used social, material and cultural resources to promote PA, but their strategies were not informed by evidence or formal guidelines. None of the resources they used were specifically designed for inactive children. Instead, teachers used general resources which they adapted to inactive children’s interests and needs.
The increased international legislation emphasising children's participation agenda heightened the need for high-quality research in early childhood. Listening to young children asserts their participation, agency and voices in research, an approach commonly associated with qualitative research methods. This Element provides a novel perspective to listening to children's voices by focusing on research methods in early childhood studies that are broadly categorised as quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Locating these research methods from a children's rights perspective, this Element is based on values that young children have the right to be involved in research irrespective of culture and context. Each section discusses how the different methodologies and approaches used in early childhood research align with the principles of children's participation and agency, as well as their right to express their views on matters that affect them. The Element concludes with a roadmap for future early childhood research and its ethical dissemination.
Object exploration is considered a driver of motor, cognitive, and social development. However, little is known about how early childhood education and care settings facilitate object exploration. This study examined if children's exploration of objects during free play was facilitated by the use of particular spatial components (floor, tables, and activity centers) and types of play (solitary, social, and parallel). Participants were 61 children (aged 11 to 48 months and 50.8% boys, socioeconomic levels representative of the Dutch population). Intraindividual variability in children's object exploration was predicted by the use of particular spatial components and the social setting, with small‐to‐medium effect sizes. Solitary and parallel play were positively associated with complex object exploration, especially when sitting or standing at child‐height tables. During social play, object exploration was mostly absent.
Cette revue exploratoire de littérature vise à répondre à trois champs de questionnements afin d’aboutir à une compréhension approfondie de l’objet « jeu libre en nature », compréhension encore aujourd’hui fragmentée par la nature pluridimensionnelle de cet objet de recherche et des représentations liées à ses composants « jeu », « liberté », et « nature ». On s’interrogera donc sur ces trois dimensions : quelles sont les définitions du jeu libre en nature proposées par les auteurs des articles revus ? Quelles typologies de jeu libre en nature peut-on induire des données de terrain décrites par les auteurs ? Comment les composantes des environnements extérieurs, telles que décrites par les auteurs, influencent-elles le jeu libre en nature des enfants ? Les réponses apportées par cette revue de littérature feront apparaître une interdépendance fondamentale entre les trois composantes de l’objet (jeu, liberté et nature) et l’interférence de variables-clés telles que les éléments constitutifs de l’environnement de jeu.
An examination of international research findings on sport and well-being (WB) was conducted to identify trends and issues for future empirical research. To this end, we adopted 3 review methods: 1) a quantitative review, 2) a review of “review articles”, and 3) a scoping review of empirical studies. The results are summarized as follows.
1) Counting of keywords in the review articles revealed that words related to sport, such as “exercise” and “physical activity”, were used more frequently than those associated with WB, such as “quality of life”. In connection with sports, many studies used the terms “well-being”, “play”, and “leisure”. In relation to WB, many studies used the term “quality of life”, “exercise”, “physical activity”, and “fitness”.
2) Through collection of review articles and collation of their contents, we identified (1) medical clients, (2)children, (3) older adults, (4) adults, (5) athletes and coaches, and (6) families as target categories. In addition, we characterized each category on the basis of indicators and research methods used for assessment of exercise/sports.
3) It was suggested that empirical studies of sports and WB still need to organize the definition and theoretical framework of WB and the methods used for measuring and analyzing sports activities. For example, “time”, “content”, and “orientation” were used to varying extents for measurement of sports concepts. Empirical research on sports and WB must focus on the quality of the measured sports activity and the context of life in which it takes place. There is a need for typology and taxonomy of sports that reflect the lives of individuals practicing them. It is also necessary to continue exploring the impact of such sports throughout an individual's lifetime.
Participation in outdoor play is beneficial for the health, well-being, and development of children. Early childhood education centers (ECECs) can provide equitable access to outdoor play. The PROmoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO) study is a pilot randomized trial that evaluates the PRO-ECO intervention on children’s outdoor play participation. The PRO-ECO intervention included four components: ECEC outdoor play policy; educator training; ECEC outdoor space modification; and parent engagement. This study included eight ECECs delivering licensed care to children (n = 217) aged 2.5 to 6 years in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Using a wait-list control cluster randomized trial design, ECECs were randomly allocated to either the intervention arm (n = 4) or the wait-list control arm (n = 4). Change in the proportion and diversity of observed outdoor play behaviour during scheduled outdoor time was measured. Outcome data were collected at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. The intervention effect on children’s outdoor play participation was examined using logistic regression mixed effect models. Controlling for gender, weather and temperature, there were no changes in children’s outdoor play participation following implementation of the PRO-ECO intervention in the between-group analysis. Within-group comparisons also revealed no change in play participation following the PRO-ECO intervention, however, the intervention group showed a positive effect (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.70) in play participation 6 months after implementation of the intervention. The findings indicate that further analyses on child- and ECEC-level outcomes collected as part of the PRO-ECO study, including the diversity of children’s play, is required to effectively assess the impact of this intervention.
Boravak djece na dječjim sportskim igralištima važan je za cjelokupni razvoj djece. Brojna istraživanja podržavaju boravak djece na igralištima s ciljem ra- zvoja socijalnih, kognitivnih i psihomotoričkih vještina. Cilj je ovoga istraži- vanja utvrditi stavove roditelja djece mlađe i predškolske dobi o boravku dje- ce na igralištima te iskustva roditelja o važnosti opreme na dječjim sportskim igralištima i elementima koji doprinose zdravlju i razvoju djece. Za potrebe istraživanja konstruiran je upitnik Roditeljska procjena posjećenosti dječ- jih igrališta (PACPA) kojim se ispitala zastupljenost zelenih površina dječjih igrališta, opremljenost dječjih igrališta prirodnim materijalima i prirodnim elementima na dječjim igralištima te stavovi roditelja o važnosti posjećenosti dječjih igrališta. Istraživanje je provedeno online i obuhvatilo je populaciju od
220 roditelja iz Republike Hrvatske. Rezultati su pokazali regionalne razlike u zastupljenosti zelenih površina dječjih igrališta, sastavu materijala elemena- ta te stavovima roditelja o važnosti posjećivanja dječjih igrališta. Učestalost posjećivanja dječjeg sportskog igrališta u korelaciji je sa stavovima roditelja o važnosti posjećivanja dječjeg sportskog igrališta. Rezultati upućuju na bu- duće planiranje kvalitetnih igrališta koja doprinose razvoju i zdravom djetinj- stvu djece u Republici Hrvatskoj.
Boravak djece na otvorenom donosi mnoge dobrobiti za njihov rast i razvoj. Najvažnija uloga vanjskog prostora je poticanje tjelesnog razvoja, motoričkih sposobnosti, znanja i vještina te potrebe za trajnom tjelesnom aktivnošću. Uz zdravi tjelesni razvoj, aktivnosti na otvorenom pružaju priliku za socijalizaciju, učenje pravila, shvaćanje međusobnih ovisnosti, razvijanje samopouzdanja, intelektualni razvoj i rješavanje problema., Na vanjskom prostoru djeca se emocionalno razvijaju suočavajući se s novim izazovima gdje sami opažaju što sve njihova tijela mogu i kako mogu kontrolirati svoje pokrete. Vani lakše razgovaraju i surađuju međusobno i s odraslima te lakše izražavaju osjećaje. Međutim, bez poticajnog okruženja djeca se neće dodatno fizički aktivirati. Stoga je potrebno da odgojno-obrazovni djelatnici koji rade s djecom u vrtićima imaju kompetencije kojima će omogućiti djeci što dulji boravak na vanjskom prostoru, tj. kvalitetno planirane i postavljene poticaje koji će djeci omogućiti učenje i razvoj, ne samo unutar vrtića, već i na vanjskim prostorima vrtića i izvan njega (parkovi, šume, plaže, igrališta, vrtovi…). Postoje mnogi načini kojima se djeci mogu omogućiti nova motorička iskustva, stjecanje znanja i razvoj sposobnosti. Na vanjskom prostoru se svakako trebaju iskoristiti raspoložive prirodne prepreke koje se zateknu na mjestu odvijanja odgojno-obrazovnog procesa ili koristiti sredstva za rad koja su načinjena od prirodnih materijala. U radu su prikazani primjeri poticaja za razvoj motoričkih sposobnost i stjecanje znanja. Budući da danas u dječjim vrtićima svjedočimo porastu razvojnih teškoća, smanjenih motoričkih sposobnosti, kao i porastu broja djece s problemima usporenog razvoja govora, imperativ u našem predškolskom odgojno-obrazovnom sustavu treba biti podizanje opće svijesti o dječjem pravu na igru na otvorenom, kao i o njegovom potencijalu u podršci dječjoj dobrobiti, učenju i razvoju. S obzirom na dugotrajni boravak djece u predškolskim ustanovama, edukacija o mogućnostima kvalitetnog korištenja vanjskih prostora u funkciji pravilnog rasta i razvoja djeteta te planiranje vremena i prostoru za igru na otvorenom trebala bi biti integrirana u obvezna planiranja odgojno-obrazovnog rada u vrtićima.
Despite growing evidence of the benefits of outdoor play on children's well-being, the amount of time children spend playing outside has decreased in recent years. Furthermore, due to current technological advancements and the recent pandemic, children are more prone to engage in indoor sedentary activities, increasing their chance of developing Childhood Psychosocial Dysfunction (CPD). The systematic narrative review is conducted to examine the various types of outdoor play and their influence on children's psychological well-being. The 790 (2) constructive play, (3) imaginative play, and (4) games with rules. When all four types were examined further, the findings were synthesised into a literature matrix and incorporated as supporting statements. According to the systematic narrative review, all four forms of outdoor play are beneficial to children's well-being and may coexist during playtime.
Malaysia's landscape projects are characterised by their dynamism, subjectivity, and fast-tracked nature, which increases the likelihood of multiple risks. Therefore, project practitioners must first understand risk conception to manage project risk through a systematic risk management approach effectively. This study aims to define risk conception from the perspective of landscape architecture professionals. The study involved semi-structured interviews with twenty-four landscape architect professionals based in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia, and data analysis was conducted using content and thematic analysis. The results revealed that landscape risk conception is considered average, with risks perceived as a threat to the project, uncertain, and inevitable. These findings provide a valuable lesson for practitioners to assess their current risk conception practices and implement the most effective management system to manage project risks.
This study has been carried out to determine the Parents’ Perceptions of Children’s Play in Preschool in Insein Township, Yangon City, Myanmar. The subjects of this study were preschool parents who lived in the area. This research was done through a descriptive quantitative method with 40 populations. The sample of this study was 40 parents chosen by using the total sampling method. The research instruments were questionnaires. The questionnaires consist of 20 statements with three different parts; General Perceptions of parents on Children’s Play, Parents’ Perceptions of children’s play at home, and Parents’ Perceptions of children’s play in Preschool. Data was collected using an online survey. The questionnaires are made in Google Forms and the link was sent to the participants. Data analysis was done in a quantitative approach by giving scores to each answer. Based on the research analysis, it was found that generally, parents have positive perceptions of children’s play with a percentage of 90.7%. Yet, Mothers outweigh to value the importance of play contrasted to Fathers with scores of 91% and 83% respectively.
Research supports the essential nature of play as directly impactful of children's overall development and wellbeing. However, the meaning of play, play materials, and access to play are not uniform across cultures or communities. Biopsychosocial factors such as development, health, mental health, trauma, racism, gender, gender identity, family structure, socioeconomics, geography, and religion influence how and why children play within their daily lives. Children in healthcare settings can face additional obstacles to play engagement thereby minimizing the therapeutic and healing impact of play. This chapter seeks to highlight the need for healthcare providers, particularly play specialists, to improve their understanding of biopsychosocial factors to promote more thorough assessments of patient coping, facilitate beneficial play engagements, and address areas of intrinsic bias in pursuit of optimal outcomes and well-being for children in healthcare settings whether hospitals, community clinics, hospice, or residential care.
Research on the involvement of autistic children in daily activities in inclusive early childhood education is scarce. In Finland, all children, including autistic children, under the age of seven (before basic education) are entitled to participate in early childhood education and care. Children also attend compulsory, free-of-charge pre-primary education during the year before their basic education begins. Furthermore, attending early childhood education and care is not dependent whether a child requires day care because of their parents’ work. Autistic children attend early childhood education in inclusive day care centres. Thus, in this study, we examined the involvement of autistic children by focusing on the objects of their attention during daily activities in inclusive day care centres in Finland. The data were collected between 2017 and 2020, during the research and development project Progressive Feedback, in which children were observed using systematic sampling. The study material consisted of observations of seven autistic children as part of a larger sample of children. The data were analysed using statistical methods. The results indicated that, during their deepest involvement, autistic children expressed positive emotions regarding participation and collaborated with and directed their focus towards other children. Moreover, autistic children demonstrated the most intensive involvement during adult-supported play.
Considering how much time most children spend in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions, the psychosocial dimensions of ECEC institutions and children’s well-being represent a growing research area within the ECEC field. This paper presents results from a study where children’s experiences of subjective well-being and opportunities for participation in ECEC institutions were explored. Research on children’s own perspectives about their well-being has mainly been conducted among children older than those of preschool age, and therefore this study aimed at highlighting the voices of 4-6-year-old children regarding how they experience their lives in ECEC institutions. Quantitative data was collected through conversations with 171 Norwegian 4–6-year-old children based on an electronic questionnaire. The results indicate that even though many children experience a high degree of well-being in Norwegian ECEC institutions, approximately one-third of them experience a medium level of well-being and close to one out of ten experience a low degree of well-being. The results show that the physical environment, the toys/equipment, the common activities and the opportunity to have an influence on where to move, what to do and with whom are of crucial importance for children’s well-being in ECEC institutions. This also includes children’s opportunity to oppose the staff and negotiate and choose activities that differ from those that the staff select.
There is accumulating scientific evidence of the potential of play and playfulness to enhance human capacity to respond to adversity and cope with the stresses of everyday life. In play we build a repertoire of adaptive, flexible responses to unexpected events, in an environment separated from the real consequences of those events. Playfulness helps us maintain social and emotional equilibrium in times of rapid change and stress. Through play, we experience flow—A feeling of being taken to another place, out of time, where we have controlled of the world. This paper argues that spontaneous free play, controlled and directed by children and understood from the child’s perspective, contributes to children’s subjective experience of well-being, building a foundation for life-long social and emotional health. The paradoxical nature of young children’s spontaneous free play is explored. Adaptability, control, flexibility, resilience and balance result from the experience of uncertainty, unpredictability, novelty and non-productivity. These essential dimensions of young children’s spontaneous free play typically produce play which is experienced by adults as chaotic, nonsensical and disruptive. The article concludes with a preliminary discussion of the challenges and possibilities of providing for spontaneous free play indoors, in early childhood care and education programs.
The physical and social environment of children in cities is continuously changing. Knowledge about the positive effects of natural play experiences within the child’s development is becoming widely known. Affordances of diverse landscape elements and especially loose parts for play in natural environments influence play activities. New concepts of natural playgrounds emerge and call for more research in this field. We conducted a comparative study on differently designed playgrounds (contemporary, naturally structured) in Bremen, Germany. The aim of the study was to further explore how diverse play environments afford different forms of play in kindergarten children aged between five and six years. Results show differences in number and duration of play episodes as well as in the occurrence of different categories of play. Existing observational instruments need improvement to adequately evaluate the impact of new playground concepts on early childhood activities.
The purpose of this study was to examine where and how children choose to play in four Australian pre-school centers with very different outdoor playgrounds. Using a momentary time sampling direct observation instrument, a total of 960 scans were taken of pre-determined target areas (paths, paved expanses, grass, softfall, sand feature, manufactured functional, manufactured constructive and natural) within four playgrounds over a 30-day period. During each scan, we recorded the number of boys and girls observed in each target area as well as the dominant type of play (functional, constructive, symbolic, self-focused, talking). A total of 2361 observations of children occurred across the four centers. The results revealed the children were using the four playgrounds differently. At the diverse and natural Center A, the most popular space was the natural area and the least popular space was the sandpit. At the small, compact and diverse Center B, children were fairly evenly dispersed, with the most popular areas being the softfall and paved expanse. At the hard and barren Center C, almost half the children were found on the pavement, but the sandpits and natural areas were also popular. Finally, at the large, sparse and old Center D, children were fairly evenly dispersed, but most were observed playing on the softfall. Across all centers, irrespective of target area, the dominant play activity was functional play followed by self-focused play. This article discusses these findings and asks important questions about the design of pre-school playgrounds. In doing so, this study has begun to explain the relationship between the design of outdoor play spaces, children's choices of play locations and their play behaviors.
In this paper, we contrast the early childhood education and care aims and curriculum in Norway and Australia and the theoretical underpinnings of Norwegian and Australian pedagogy in an attempt to partially explain the different approaches to (risky) outdoor play in these two countries. We argue that Norwegian pedagogical approaches may allow teachers to theorize more about, and place greater emphasis on, physical and motor development than teachers in countries such as Australia. Evidence includes reference to theories typically used in Norwegian and Australian writing. Additionally, we examine interview data from teachers, which reveals that both groups of teachers share similar understandings of the importance of risk-taking in play, but there is more consistency between belief and practice for Norwegian than Australian teachers. We argue that the differences in alignment of belief and practice in the two countries are partly attributable to the differing theoretical bases of teachers' pedagogical approaches in each country. These findings have implications for theorizing about outdoor play and learning. In particular, we argue that early childhood teacher training programmes should include approaches based on Gibsonian and Dynamic Systems theories.
Positive risk-taking in the context of outdoor physical play is important for fostering children's optimal health and development. Despite this, there is mounting concern that many developmentally beneficial activities are now seen as dangerous and something to be avoided. However, perceptions of risk are very much subject to cultural interpretation, and the growing risk aversion evident in some developed Western societies, such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, is less apparent in other developed countries, notably some of the European and Scandinavian countries. To explore some of these cultural differences, early childhood practitioners from Australia and Norway were interviewed regarding their provision of outdoor play experiences for children and their attitudes towards risk-taking in play. Practitioners from both countries recognised the importance of risky play for children's development and well-being. However, differences in the extent to which children's risky play was supported were evident. Factors associated with the quality of the outdoor environment, regulatory requirements, and a litigious environment were identified as constraining teaching practice for the Australian practitioners. The findings have implications for the development of policy that supports teachers' pedagogical decision-making in providing developmentally challenging play environments for children.
Introduction Whilst children's environments have been comprehensively researched and reported in environmental psychology, adolescents' use and evaluation of their environments have received virtually no attention; we believe this to be the first review of its kind. This chapter attempts to provide a theoretical framework for examining and explaining the meaning and function of four salient environments for adolescents – the home, school, neighbourhood and town/city centre. Furthermore, this chapter focuses on the function of these environments for the realization of social interaction and retreat opportunities. The theoretical framework has been informed by, but also tries to move forward from, Gibson's (1979) theory of affordances and Heft's later application of Gibson's ideas to outdoor environments (Heft, 1988, 2001). The significant contribution of this study is that it articulates and makes the case for a more socially-driven concept of affordances. The chapter concludes by reporting briefly on recent research undertaken in the UK (Clark, 2001; Clark and Uzzell, 2002) which sought to measure the socio-environmental affordances of the environment and their implications for adolescent behaviour. Environmental perception – Gibson's theory of affordances The issue of environmental perception, and more specifically, social perception, lies at the heart of any attempt to evaluate the function of the environment. In order for an individual to be able to interact with the environment they have to be able to perceive its social meaning.
This study examines some characteristics of the outdoor environment in Norwegian kindergartens. Understood as pedagogical space, outdoor conditions may enhance or restrict the youngest children's possibilities for play, learning and development. In 117 of 133 kindergartens (response rate: 87 %) participating in a longitudinal study, the heads of the institution and the pedagogical leaders in these institutions have completed questionnaires. The questionnaires for head teachers and pedagogical leaders covered a wide range of characteristics of the institutions, including outdoor space and organisation of time, everyday life and physical environment. The findings indicate that Norwegian children spend a significant amount of time in kindergarten outdoors, 70% and 31% in summer and winter semester respectively. Norwegian children also have large outdoor areas in their institutions; the average size is 2600 square meters (approx. 47 m2 pr. child). Head teachers and pedagogical leaders seem to be satisfied with the quality of the outdoor environment in their institutions.
The aim of this paper was to describe the meaning of wellbeing for children and youth with disabilities from their perspective. Twenty children and young people with a range of disabilities including, cerebral palsy, autism, Aspergers syndrome, Down syndrome, mild to moderate intellectual disability and vision impairment, participated in five focus groups and one interview. Groups were facilitated by at least two experienced professionals, including one scribe who recorded the discussions within the groups and took field notes on contextual information. Open coding was used to initially name and categorise data. Constant comparison methods were then used to compare codes and categories to advance the conceptual understanding. Six themes of the meaning of wellbeing emerged from the data describing participation, the importance of good friends, family factors, anxiety relating to performance at school, coping strategies/resilience, and personal growth and development. The concept of wellbeing from the child’s perspective was described as feeling supported, included and respected, as well as feeling valued and capable. Ideas raised by children and young people have highlighted gaps within current indicator sets of children’s wellbeing. These include reciprocal respect within relationships, coping strategies, feeling valued and having a positive sense of self. Children and young people can provide valuable input into research, regardless of impairment.
The purpose of this article is to qualitatively explore the affordances for risky play in two different preschool outdoor
environments, an ordinary preschool playground and a nature playground, based on Gibson (The ecological approach to visual
perception, 1979) theory of affordances and Heft’s and Kytteä’s (Heft in Children’s Environ Qual 5(3) 29–37, 1988; Kyttä in J Environ Psychol 22:109–123, 2002, Kyttä in J Environ Psychol 24:179–198, 2004) extended work on this theory. Observations of risky play in two Norwegian preschools, one ordinary preschool (where play
took place on an ordinary playground) and one nature and outdoor preschool (where play took place in a nature area) were conducted.
In addition, the children were interviewed about their actualized affordances of risky play, their mobility license, and the
constraints on risky play. The results show that both play environments afford an extensive amount of risky play among the
children, and that the degree of mobility license tolerated by the staff is an important factor for the children to actualize
these affordances. Differences in the qualities and features in the two play environments were found to have an impact on
the degree of riskiness in the play situations. As such, the nature playground afforded a higher degree of risk in children’s
risky play.
Diversity of environmental resources and access to play and exploration have been regarded as the two central criteria of a child-friendly environment (Moore, 1986). The former has been operationalized in this article by the number of actualized, positive affordances (Gibson, 1979; Heft, 1989) and the latter by the degree of independent mobility. A hypothetical model in which the degree of independent mobility and the number of actualized affordances covary in four varying types of children's environments was constructed. The latter are called Bullerby (the ideal environment), Wasteland, Cell, and Glasshouse. The model was applied in the interpretation of the research data from eight different neighborhoods of various levels of urbanization, in Finland and Belarus. The subjects (n=223) were 8–9-year-old children, who were studied by using individual interviews and questionnaires. The results indicate that all of the hypothesized environment types appeared in the data. Each neighborhood had a unique combination of affordances and independent mobility in terms of the model. The Bullerby type of setting abounded in the Finnish communities. The Cell, Wasteland and Glasshouse were the most common types of environment in the Belarushian data. In general, the proportion of Bullerby-type settings decreased and the glasshouse-type increased as the degree of urbanization augmented. The models and measures applied need further elaboration and testing in different environments and with varying groups of children. The co-variation of the actualized affordances and the degree of independent mobility can be considered a significant indicator in the assessment of child-friendly environments.
A previously described coefficient of agreement for nominal scales, kappa, treats all disagreements equally. A generalization to weighted kappa (Kw) is presented. The Kw provides for the incorpation of ratio-scaled degrees of disagreement (or agreement) to each of the cells of the k * k table of joint nominal scale assignments such that disagreements of varying gravity (or agreements of varying degree) are weighted accordingly. Although providing for partial credit, Kw is fully chance corrected. Its sampling characteristics and procedures for hypothesis testing and setting confidence limits are given. Under certain conditions, Kw equals product-moment r. The use of unequal weights for symmetrical cells makes Kw suitable as a measure of validity.
Play is viewed as central to learning in the early years despite a lack of empirical evidence to support this. Most research has concentrated on adult definitions of play which fail to capture the intrinsic quality of playfulness. To achieve this it is necessary to elicit children’s definitions of play. The research discussed in this paper utilises children’s definitions of play to create formal and playful practice conditions to demonstrate the links between playfulness and learning. In addition, analysis of videotaped observations indicates behavioural differences according to whether children participate in playful or formal practice conditions. These findings support a behavioural threshold and fluency theory of play. Children in the playful condition exhibited more fluent and purposeful problem solving behaviours than children in the formal condition. Implications for practitioners in educational settings are outlined.
The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners’ perceptions and practices regarding children's indoor and outdoor rough-and-tumble play (R&T) from a gender perspective. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used together in a mixed method design to provide quantitative data of patterns among a larger group of ECEC practitioners, as well as to gather greater in-depth insights on ECEC practitioners’ attitudes, thoughts and actions concerning children's R&T. The results of the study showed that ECEC practitioners acknowledged both positive and negative sides of R&T; that they allowed this kind of play significantly more in outdoor environments than indoors, and that R&T often produced uncertainty and a need for control by the practitioners. The most surprising result from the questionnaire was the lack of gender differences in allowing children's R&T in ECEC. However, the interviews revealed that although a basic difference in attitudes between male and female practitioners originally existed, female practitioners changed their attitudes and practices towards R&T as a result of gaining more knowledge and experience of this play through their male colleagues. In addition, a high consciousness of trying to adopt common understandings, rules and practices regarding R&T also contributed to a change of attitudes.
Research Findings: The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between social play and involvement in the outdoor preschool environment. The study included 173 children ranging in age from 3 to 6 years (Mage = 3.95, SD = 0.82) and attending 19 preschools in the Basque Country (Spain). A total of 51 teachers (50 women, 1 man) also participated. Our results indicated that there is a relationship between social participation and involvement and that group play is the type of play that best predicts greater involvement. No significant differences in levels of involvement were found between boys and girls, although gender was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between the type of group play and involvement. Practice or Policy: The results are discussed with reference to the need to implement innovations in the outdoor preschool environment that have a positive effect on child development. The outdoor environment should promote social participation as well as gender equality and inclusion, and consequently it should be designed to offer both access to a natural environment and multiple opportunities for play.
This paper explores teacher-reported prevalence of rough-and-tumble play (R&T) in preschool and investigates how their restriction to such play varies in different play environments (indoor and outdoor). An electronic questionnaire exploring preschool teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding children's dramatic play themes was conducted by 138 female Norwegian preschool teachers. The results show that the teacher-reported prevalence of nurture/care and house/family types of dramatic play is higher among girls than among boys, while superhero play, pretend fighting, chase games and protect/rescue play is more prevalent among boys than girls. The results also show that play-fighting and chase games are the dramatic play types most restricted by the preschool teachers, and that R&T play is significantly less restricted in outdoor environments compared to indoors. The results are discussed within a Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) context and implications for ECEC practice are suggested.
Interest in children’s wellbeing has been steadily increasing across political, social and educational contexts. While the importance of children’s wellbeing–particularly in relation to learning and development–is undisputed, there are conflicting perspectives on what ‘wellbeing’ actually is, let alone how to measure and promote it. The purpose of this paper is to examine the context, complexities and challenges associated with understanding children’s wellbeing–specifically children’s perspectives on their wellbeing in the early childhood setting. This paper argues that in order to support children’s wellbeing in early childhood settings, we need to know how young children subjectively experience wellbeing. This requires the adoption of a constructivist, child-centred approach to the conceptualisation of wellbeing in early childhood research to promote effective programme provision.
The concept of involvement and the corresponding training package for the observation of children's involvement in daycare centres were developed by Laevers and colleagues in Belgium (University of Leuven). In the first part of this paper some characteristic features of this approach are discussed: its position in relation to similar theoretical concepts and some methodological and practical aspects of the involvement observation scales as a tool for practitioners. In the second part the findings of a study in German daycare centres (28 classes, 8 daycare centres in Bavaria) are presented. More than 600 3- to 7-year-old children were systematically observed and assessed with the Leuven Activities Scale, which lists 23 different activities that are commonly offered in preschool settings. Observation of all children in class with this scale revealed specific involvement profiles for different groups of children: the prevalence of sex-typed activity preferences and involvement rates, lower involvement rates of ethnic minority children especially in language-related activities, comparatively low involvement rates in most activities for young children in age-mixed groups. Our findings show that it is important to observe all children in class with the Activities Scale and not merely individual children or subgroups. Practitioners will gain a complete and precise picture of the whole class and become aware of the unevenly distributed educational and developmental chances of specific groups of children in relation to curriculum activities. Such information will help practitioners in developing specific centre-based interventions and curricular goals for different groups of children — an important aspect of quality in early childhood education.
This book offers readers the first book-length attempt to define the emerging field of evolutionary developmental psychology, which applies the basic principles of Darwinian evolution, particularly natural selection, to explain contemporary human development. The authors point out that an evolutionary developmental perspective allows one to interpret aspects of psychological functioning, like gene-environment interactions and the significance of individual differences, differently than an environmental perspective that treats development only superficially. Of particular interest are chapters that explore factors influencing parenting and other aspects of family life (such as dealing with siblings); the role of play from an evolutionary perspective; and the interacting roles of an extended juvenile period, a big brain, and a complex social structure in human cognitive evolution. The authors present a hybrid approach to evolution and development, pointing out that, although underlying assumptions held by evolutionary and developmental psychologists have been at odds, each field has much to offer the other. This volume will be a useful resource for scholars and others interested in the relation between evolution and psychological development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In this review, we consider the nature and possible developmental functions of physical activity play, defined as a playful context combined with a dimension of physical vigor. We distinguish 3 kinds of physical activity play, with consecutive age peaks: rhythmic stereotypies peaking in infancy, exercise play peaking during the preschool years, and rough-and-tumble play peaking in middle childhood. Gender differences (greater prevalence in males) characterize the latter 2 forms. Function is considered in terms of beneficial immediate and deferred consequences in physical, cognitive, and social domains. Whereas most theories assume that children's play has deferred benefits, we suggest that forms of physical activity play serve primarily immediate developmental functions. Rhythmic stereotypies in infancy are hypothesized to improve control of specific motor patterns. Exercise play is hypothesized to function primarily for strength and endurance training; less clear evidence exists for possible benefits for fat reduction and thermoregulation. In addition, there may be cognitive benefits of exercise play that we hypothesize to be largely incidental to its playful or physical nature. Rough-and-tumble play has a distinctive social component; we hypothesize that it serves primarily dominance functions; evidence for benefits to fighting skills or to emotional coding are more equivocal. Further research is indicated, given the potentially important implications for children's education, health, and development.
The methodological approach that we have been developing for over 10years in the Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values, at Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) is based on a pedagogical theory of children as active subjects. This article
focuses on our last project “Growing up Happy” and addresses two main questions: a) what makes children feel happy, and b)
how can we use this information for education. To explore these questions, we put the voices of the children themselves at
the center of the research. With the financial support of Fundación Crecer Jugando (Growing By Playing Foundation), we carried out field work at three public and two privately-subsidized Spanish Primary Schools involving students from
first to sixth grades. As our interest is in education, our aims were twofold: to learn what children say, believe, and imagine,
as well as to make recommendations for educational practice.
KeywordsChildren–Subjective well-being–Happiness–Growth–Pedagogy
Research which focuses on children’s perspectives of their well-being complements and challenges existing research and policy
on children. The study reported on here explored children’s views of what constitutes well-being, what meaning children and
young people ascribe to the concept and whether distinct dimensions or characteristics of well-being can be identified. The
project was initiated by the New South Wales Commission for Children and Young People as a basis for developing an authoritative
child-informed framework for monitoring of well-being of children in New South Wales, Australia. In this paper, we outline
the rationale for and details of qualitative research methods employed in the project, along with details of the major findings
from the research. These include, the overarching importance of relationships with others and, more specifically, the importance
of agency and control in the various domains identified as relevant to their wellbeing, the importance of safety and security
and the way these factors contribute to sense of self. More minor but significant domains identified were: dealing with adversity,
material and economic resources, physical environments, physical health and social and moral responsibility. The significance
of the findings for policy development and the particular challenge of developing indicators from the research are discussed.
Background:
As an important aspect of health and development, a number of policy and practice initiatives across education, health and social care are aimed at increasing children's emotional well-being. Links have been made between young children's emotional well-being and play although empirical evidence is limited. This paper demonstrates that when children perceive an activity as play, they show more signs of emotional well-being than when they perceive the same activity as not play.
Methods:
One hundred and twenty-nine children aged between 3 and 5 years participated in the study. The cues children use to differentiate play and not play were used to create an activity session that was 'like play' and an activity session that was 'not like play'. The activity itself remained constant. Children were allocated to either of the activity session types alternately and emotional well-being was measured using the Leuvens Involvement Scale.
Results:
There was a significant difference in the level of emotional well-being displayed by children in the two activity session types. Children who undertook the 'like play' activity scored significantly higher than children who undertook the same activity but 'not like play'. Detailed observational analysis also showed increased behavioural indicators relating to emotional well-being among children participating in the 'like play' rather than 'not like play' activity session.
Conclusion:
Children demonstrate increased emotional well-being when they perceive an activity as play rather than not play. Findings support the proposition that play can be seen as an observable behaviour but also as a mental state. As well as providing important evidence as to the value of play for enhancing children's emotional well-being, findings are discussed in relation to professional practice in children's services. The paper highlights the training needs of practitioners to enable them to understand children's views about play and use this information to create playful situations which maximize the developmental potential of play.
In this paper we examine the role of play in human ontogeny and phylogeny, following Surplus Resource Theory. We consider how juveniles use play to sample their environment in order to develop adaptive behaviors. We speculate about how innovative behaviors developed in play in response to environmental novelty may influence subsequent evolutionary processes. Play during this period of immaturity is especially important in the processes of development and evolution, because in play new strategies and behaviors can be developed with minimal costs and these strategies, in turn, can influence evolutionary processes. We posit that play influences these processes by supporting the development of new strategies in novel environments during the juvenile period.
The conceptual framework developed by the ‘Experiential Education’ project challenges the assumption that narrowly defined tests of academic achievement are the only means of measuring educational outcomes. The concept of ‘deep‐level‐learning ‘‐‐ based on a constructivist tradition ‐‐ catches the essence of an alternative view on learning and development: real learning affects the deeper structures on which competencies and dispositions are based. This line of thought is made more tangible through an analysis of several domains: the understanding of the physical world, social competence, communicative skills, curiosity, intuition, imagination and creativity and self‐management. They play a key role in the way people function in school and in life. To develop these domains an educational context must be constructed that brings children to the highest levels of ‘involvement'; this is where deep‐level‐learning takes place.
Twenty established children were observed in each of three nursery schools and two day nurseries. Two pairs of nursery schools and day nurseries were matched for building design. Twenty newly arrived children were also observed in each nursery school. Child behaviour was analysed in relation to building design; playroom openness appeared the most important building factor. Children in the more open units spent less time on school-oriented activities and received fewer staff contacts, but more time moving around, doing nothing, and in aggression and active play. Social interaction was little related to building design, but was affected by amount of nursery experience. The findings are discussed in relation to staff aims.
In this review, we consider the nature and possible developmental functions of physical activity play, defined as a playful context combined with a dimension of physical vigor. We distinguish 3 kinds of physical activity play, with consecutive age peaks: rhythmic stereotypies peaking in infancy, exercise play peaking during the preschool years, and rough-and-tumble play peaking in middle childhood. Gender differences (greater prevalence in males) characterize the latter 2 forms. Function is considered in terms of beneficial immediate and deferred consequences in physical, cognitive, and social domains. Whereas most theories assume that children's play has deferred benefits, we suggest that forms of physical activity play serve primarily immediate developmental functions. Rhythmic stereotypies in infancy are hypothesized to improve control of specific motor patterns. Exercise play is hypothesized to function primarily for strength and endurance training; less clear evidence exists for possible benefits for fat reduction and thermoregulation. In addition, there may be cognitive benefits of exercise play that we hypothesize to be largely incidental to its playful or physical nature. Rough-and-tumble play has a distinctive social component; we hypothesize that it serves primarily dominance functions; evidence for benefits to fighting skills or to emotional coding are more equivocal. Further research is indicated, given the potentially important implications for children's education, health, and development.
- Grieg A.
The SAGE Handbook of outdoor play and learning
- J Waters
Waters, J. (2017). Affordance theory in outdoor play. In T. Waller, E. Ärlemalm-Hagsèr, E. B. H.
Sandseter, L. Lee-Hammond, K. Lekies, & S. Wyver (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of outdoor
play and learning (pp. 40-54). London: Sage.
The Observer XT reference manual. Wageningen: Noldus Information Technology bv
- F Grieco
- L Loijens
- P Zimmermann
- A Spink
Grieco, F., Loijens, L., Zimmermann, P., & Spink, A. (2007). The Observer XT reference manual.
Wageningen: Noldus Information Technology bv.
Einstein never used flash cards: How our children really learn - and why they need to play more and memorize less
- K Hirsh-Pasek
- R M Golinkoff
- D Eyer
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Eyer, D. (2003). Einstein never used flash cards: How our children
really learn -and why they need to play more and memorize less. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Books.
Determinants of quality in child care: A review of research evidence. Ashfield: Centre for Parenting and Research
- L Huntsman
Huntsman, L. (2008). Determinants of quality in child care: A review of research evidence. Ashfield:
Centre for Parenting and Research.
Play as a context for early learning and development, Research Paper to Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. Dublin: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Retrieved from www.ncca.ie/earlylearning
- M Kernan
Kernan, M. (2007). Play as a context for early learning and development, Research Paper to Aistear:
The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. Dublin: National Council for Curriculum and
Assessment. Retrieved from www.ncca.ie/earlylearning.
Assessing the quality of childcare provision: ‘involvement’ as criterion
- F Laevers
Laevers, F. (1997). Assessing the quality of childcare provision: 'involvement' as criterion.
Researching Early Childhood, 3, 151-165.
Effective early learning: Case studies in improvement. London: Sage
- C Pascal
- T Bertram
Pascal, C., & Bertram, T. (1997). Effective early learning: Case studies in improvement. London: Sage.
Kindergartens, 2017, final statistics
- Statisticsnorway
StatisticsNorway. (2018). Kindergartens, 2017, final statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ssb.no/
en/utdanning/statistikker/barnehager/aar-endelige
The Convention on the rights of the child
UN. (1989). The Convention on the rights of the child. United Nations (UN).
Når børn trives i børnehaven
- A B Koch
Koch, A. B. (2013). Når børn trives i børnehaven (PhD thesis). Syddansk Universitet, Århus.
Dublin: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
- M Kernan
- Hartas D.
Well-being and involvement in care settings. A process-oriented self-evaluation instrument
- F Laevers