Affordances – or action possibilities – in an environment serve as invitations for certain types of play. Affordances have a specific relevance for sociodramatic play as children use objects and spaces as openings to the imaginary world. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to compare the frequency and complexity of the sociodramatic play of two groups of preschool children in two different outdoor spaces in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). The playspace at Preschool 1 consisted primarily of manufactured features and equipment, with some natural surfaces and vegetation. The playspace at Preschool 2 included a conventional playground and a naturalized area.
Researchers conducted observations of 15 children (age 4-5) during outdoor play at each of the participating schools over a three-week period. They used the Smilansky Scale for the Evaluation of Dramatic and Socio Dramatic play (SSEDSP) to collect data on the complexity of children's play. They used field notes and behavior mapping to collect data on the frequency of sociodramatic play in the different playspaces and areas within the playspaces.
Findings showed that sociodramatic play was substantially more frequent and more complex in the outdoor space of Preschool 2 (the outdoor space with a naturalized area). There was also greater movement between and within areas in this outdoor setting during sociodramatic play. This more frequent movement may have been facilitated by the wider pathways and playspaces at Preschool 2. Sociodramatic play at Preschool 2 often occurred in dense vegetation and involved loose parts. There were some indications that “children's response to the natural elements stimulated collaboration between peers where children used metacommunication to plan and negotiate how objects and spaces were to be used.” The less frequent and less complex sociodramatic play in the outdoor space at Preschool 1 (the outdoor space dominated by manufactured features) generally involved functional play and very limited role-play persistence.
These findings “illustrate how the characteristics of an outdoor space may support (or hinder) the complexity and frequency of children's sociodramatic play.” Features supporting more frequent and complex sociodramatic play include a balanced combination of manufactured resources and significant vegetation and natural loose parts; opportunities for seclusion and lack of overcrowding; linking pathways; and open-ended design. “The findings have implications for landscape designers, early childhood educators and managers wanting to create outdoor spaces that will support the very important childhood activity of sociodramatic play.”
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