The Influence of Outdoor Play Environments on Preschool Children’s Play Behaviours
This website shares key findings from a rapid review examining how outdoor play environments influence preschool children’s play behaviours. The study focuses on children aged 2.5 to 6 years and explores how different environmental features support physical, social, imaginative, and exploratory play. This resource is designed for early childhood educators who want to create more meaningful and engaging outdoor learning environments.
Topic
The Aim
Research Question
Overview of This Study
This study examines how specific outdoor features, such as natural materials, loose parts, and varied terrain, influence the play behaviours of children aged 2.5 to 6 years.
The aim of this study is to understand how intentional outdoor environment design can support children’s holistic development. It moves beyond standardized, “safety-only” playgrounds to explore how richer environments can better support diverse play experiences.
The aim of this study is to understand how intentionally designed outdoor environments can support preschool children’s holistic development. It moves beyond standardized, safety-focused playgrounds to explore how more diverse environments can better support different types of play experiences.
Theoretical Framework
This study is guided by Gibson’s (1979) Theory of Affordances, which views the environment as an active participant in children’s play. According to this theory, environmental features “invite” children to engage in specific actions.
Key Findings
Outdoor play environments influence the types and quality of play behaviours in preschool children. This study identified several key ways that environmental features support different forms of play.
Environment Shapes Play Diversity
Different outdoor features, such as surfaces and equipment, influence the types of play children engage in. For example, some environments support functional play (e.g., running and climbing), while others encourage constructive or exploratory play.
Outdoor environments increase opportunities for physical play
Features such as climbing structures, open spaces, and varied terrain support active movement by providing children with diverse opportunities to engage in physical activities, including running, balancing, climbing, and exploring their physical abilities.
Loose Parts Support Imaginative and Exploratory Play
Loose parts and natural materials, such as sticks, stones, and logs, support imaginative and exploratory play. These materials allow children to use objects in flexible and creative ways, encouraging symbolic play and independent exploration.
Outdoor Environments Support Social and Cooperative Play
Outdoor environments also support social and cooperative play by encouraging interaction and shared experiences. Features such as playhouses and sand areas provide opportunities for children to communicate, negotiate roles, and work together.
Evidence-Based Takeaways for Educators
The findings of this study show that the design of outdoor environments influences the quality of children’s play and development. Different environmental features provide different opportunities for play. When educators understand how these features support children’s actions, they can make more intentional decisions about how outdoor spaces are designed and used.
There are strategies that can help early childhood educators translate research into practice. They provide practical ways to balance outdoor environments, include loose parts, use varied terrain, and support appropriate risk-taking in everyday settings.