The Importance of Outdoor Play for Children
- Outdoor play is essential for children's healthy development, but today children play outside less than their parents did, which is a problem for their physical, emotional, mental, and social health and development 10s.
- The tweenager, aged 9 to 14, is a particular group that would benefit from playing outside more, but they often spend most of their time indoors, only leaving their room to eat or take a shower, and can be difficult for parents to understand 2m6s.
Research on Outdoor Play and Child Behavior
- Researchers have studied outdoor play for over 20 years, spending over 1,000 hours observing children play, and have found that simply observing what kids do is not enough to understand why they do it, so they also ask them questions and invite them to show them around their places 4m42s.
- In one research project, a school was getting a new schoolyard, and the children were involved in the design process, requesting hills, which were installed, but to the researchers' surprise, the use of the hilly area was less than the old asphalt area, because the hills had sharp edges that made it impossible to roll on them with scooters or skateboards 6m15s.
Designing School Yards for Outdoor Play
- The researchers found that details matter, and the design of the hills, including a big, steep hill, was a concern for some parents, who worried about their children falling and getting hurt, but the headmaster argued that kids need to learn to take risks 8m30s.
- Researchers worked with a school to design a school yard, and the headmaster was supportive, even when a child broke their arm, saying it would be fine and that they needed more heroes like him who allow children to take risks 10s.
- The school yard was used a lot, especially a hilly area that became a status symbol, with children trying to reach the top to prove they were one of the "big kids," and this area evolved into a cultural phenomenon over time 2m6s.
Challenges and Cultural Shifts in Schoolyard Use
- A new culture appeared at the schoolyard, with the hilly area being used by older children as a challenge, and a playhouse designed for smaller children was taken over by teenagers, who were then told to leave by a teacher, illustrating the problem of "stupid grown-up rules" 4m42s.
- At another school, an area was designed specifically for teenagers, but it was not used by them because they were not allowed to go there, due to a rule created after an accident occurred, highlighting the issue of restrictive rules 8m15s.
Issues with Traditional Play Spaces and Rules
- Football fields or soccer fields are popular, but often empty, and observations showed that they are areas of conflict, hierarchy, and exclusion, and the reason they are empty is often because there are no footballs available 12m10s.
- To get children to play outside more, it is suggested that stupid rules should be eliminated, places that children like and use should not be taken away, and details matter, so it is essential to listen to children to understand what they need 16m20s.
Involving Children in the Design of Play Spaces
- Children should be involved in creating places where they can play, as they are the experts and know what makes a good place, which is a location with variation that allows for different activities 10s.
- A good place to play is one that offers challenging games, non-competitive sports, and other activities that provide a sense of danger, as well as music, particularly for girls 10s.
- For some children, such as twins, a good place to play is also one where they can get away from adults and smaller children, allowing them to have their own space 10s.
Creating Play Spaces That Meet Children's Needs
- It is essential to give children the places they want and need, rather than just providing them with the spaces that adults think they should have, in order to support their development and well-being 10s.
