Playscapes: A promising way to connect young children to nature
With the world turning more electronic every day, many parents and environmental educators fear that children do not spend enough time exploring natural spaces. This “nature deficit” can cause children to miss out on important developmental opportunities and feel less connected to nature as a whole. Playscapes, or enclosed play spaces that incorporate natural elements, seek to fill this void. However, very little research has gone into exactly how effective these playscapes are in fostering exploration of natural systems and thereby establishing the foundations of environmentally responsible behavior. This study compares preschoolers’ interactions with playscapes with their activities …show more content…
The researchers then split this footage into short clips and coded each video clip according to 1) the type of science inquiry happening, 2) the type of play happening, and 3) the specific location of interest within the playscape or playground where the action was happening. Following in the footsteps of past researchers, this study used the following four categories of science inquiry, each requiring increasingly complex understanding from the child on the play area: observation, exploration, representing and recording, and language. The researchers also categorized each video clip into four types of play: functional play, or using senses to learn about materials; constructive play, like building up or breaking down objects; dramatic play through imaginative role-play; and games involving set …show more content…
The researchers emphasize that it should serve only as a preliminary look at the potential of playscapes, as the study was observational rather than experimental in design. Furthermore, the study did not control for demographics within the two preschool play groups, which could influence how they interacted with their play areas, as could the fact that one play area was entirely new while the other was entirely familiar. Finally, the videographers could have unintentionally biased the data through their own choices on what to capture on video.
Still the study stands as a promising investigation of playscapes’ potentials to promote science inquiry and connection with nature through play. The playscape provides a diversity of opportunities for this engagement and inquiry, and these early life experiences can serve as a foundation for environmentally responsible behaviors later in life.
The Bottom Line:
Playscapes represent a relatively new way for young children to connect with nature in meaningful, diverse, science-driven ways. Because they are safe enclosed spaces that also contain natural elements, they encapsulate the best-of-both-worlds scenario for the educator who wants to foster environmental attitudes while still dealing with the realities of watching over a large group of young students. They engage children in student-led exploration and observation, setting the stage for environmentally
With the world turning more electronic every day, many parents and environmental educators fear that children do not spend enough time exploring natural spaces. This “nature deficit” can cause children to miss out on important developmental opportunities and feel less connected to nature as a whole. Playscapes, or enclosed play spaces that incorporate natural elements, seek to fill this void. However, very little research has gone into exactly how effective these playscapes are in fostering exploration of natural systems and thereby establishing the foundations of environmentally responsible behavior. This study compares preschoolers’ interactions with playscapes with their activities …show more content…
The researchers then split this footage into short clips and coded each video clip according to 1) the type of science inquiry happening, 2) the type of play happening, and 3) the specific location of interest within the playscape or playground where the action was happening. Following in the footsteps of past researchers, this study used the following four categories of science inquiry, each requiring increasingly complex understanding from the child on the play area: observation, exploration, representing and recording, and language. The researchers also categorized each video clip into four types of play: functional play, or using senses to learn about materials; constructive play, like building up or breaking down objects; dramatic play through imaginative role-play; and games involving set …show more content…
The researchers emphasize that it should serve only as a preliminary look at the potential of playscapes, as the study was observational rather than experimental in design. Furthermore, the study did not control for demographics within the two preschool play groups, which could influence how they interacted with their play areas, as could the fact that one play area was entirely new while the other was entirely familiar. Finally, the videographers could have unintentionally biased the data through their own choices on what to capture on video.
Still the study stands as a promising investigation of playscapes’ potentials to promote science inquiry and connection with nature through play. The playscape provides a diversity of opportunities for this engagement and inquiry, and these early life experiences can serve as a foundation for environmentally responsible behaviors later in life.
The Bottom Line:
Playscapes represent a relatively new way for young children to connect with nature in meaningful, diverse, science-driven ways. Because they are safe enclosed spaces that also contain natural elements, they encapsulate the best-of-both-worlds scenario for the educator who wants to foster environmental attitudes while still dealing with the realities of watching over a large group of young students. They engage children in student-led exploration and observation, setting the stage for environmentally