A quasi-experimental investigation of young children's activity levels and movements in equipment-based and naturalized outdoor play environments

• Published in: Journal of environmental psychology 2024-08, Vol.97, p.102364, Article 102364
• Main Authors: Squires, Kimberly, van Rhijn, Tricia, Breau, Becky, Harwood, Debra, Haines, Jess, Coghill, Megan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: accelerometers; Child care; Early childhood education; issues and policy; Naturalized playgrounds; Outdoor play; physical activity; Physical development; Playground design; psychology; sedentary lifestyle; Spatial behaviour mapping
• ISSN: 0272-4944
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102364

Playing outdoors is beneficial for children's development and learning. Investigating how children's play varies in different types of outdoor environments can offer valuable insight to better support their development. As part of a larger comprehensive study examining the impact of naturalizing outdoor play environments, this article focuses on investigating young children's physical activity levels and movements on equipment-based and a naturalized outdoor play environments at a licensed early childhood education and care setting. Through a quasi-experimental mixed method design, the present study used wrist- and hip-worn accelerometers as well as spatial behaviour mapping to investigate the level of physical activity and movement between the two types of outdoor play environments. Findings from the accelerometer data indicated a significant decrease in moderate-vigorous physical activity, and a significant increase in sedentary behaviour in the naturalized outdoor play environment. Spatial behaviour mapping revealed that this decrease in physical activity post-naturalization could be due to children engaging in longer periods of more clustered (i.e., multiple experiences in a similar area) play interactions and experiences on the naturalized outdoor play environment compared to the equipment-based environment. This research is valuable for considering how children's more holistic development could be supported on a naturalized outdoor play environment to inform pedagogical and policy decisions. •Naturalized playgrounds may support lower physical activity levels.•Longer play pauses and interactions were observed on the naturalized playgrounds.•More clustered play interactions were observed on the naturalized playgrounds.•Naturalized playgrounds may support more engagement in holistic outdoor play.