Educators say naturalized playgrounds may enhance children’s play, learning and holistic developmentOutdoor play is widely understood to offer many benefits for children’s healthy development and learning. In addition to promoting physical health, research indicates that outdoor play supports children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. To ensure young children’s equitable access to outdoor play, it is important to understand how early childhood educators perceive and influence children’s outdoor play. While previous research has revealed that educators believe outdoor play is beneficial, the perceptions of early childhood educators on the specific benefits of play in naturalized outdoor environments largely remain unexamined. This study explored the perspectives of early childhood educators to clarify their perceptions of how the naturalization of an outdoor play environment impacted young children’s learning and development.
The study was conducted as a part of a broader study that aimed to increase understanding of how the naturalization of an outdoor environment at an early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting impacted children’s play, learning, and development. As part of this larger study, two traditional equipment-based playgrounds at a licensed childcare center located on a university campus were renovated into more naturalized playgrounds. The childcare center offered both toddler and preschool programs for children ages 1.5 to 3.5 years in Ontario, Canada. The naturalized playgrounds included a variety of nature-inspired features such as fallen logs, stump steps, large sand and grass areas, hand-operated water pumps and multiple native plant gardens. The playgrounds were designed for their specific age group (toddler and preschooler). Early childhood educators (ECEs) from the childcare center served as the participants for this portion of the study. Two months after the playground naturalization, 28 ECEs were invited to participate in the study through an email containing an online survey link. Twenty responses were received that included 16 fully completed surveys. Two years later, after the childcare center had re-opened after COVID-19 closures and the educators experienced each season on the new naturalized playground, a second follow-up survey was distributed to 27 educators. Twenty responses were received, including 15 fully completed surveys. The surveys were developed by the researchers based on the findings of previous relevant studies. The first survey included three Likert scale questions and 23 open-ended questions that were focused on educators’ experiences of both the equipment-based playground and the naturalized playground. The second survey included one Likert scale question and 15 open-ended questions which aimed to clarify how educators’ experiences and perceptions of the naturalized playground had changed since its implementation. Survey data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify the dominant themes within educators’ perceptions. Responses to Likert scale questions were presented graphically to allow for a comparison of the results.
Overall, educators reported changes in the children’s learning and development as a result of the playground naturalization. In particular, educators indicated that children were less reliant on adults to facilitate play experiences on the naturalized playground compared to the equipment-based playground. Additionally, educators rated the children’s social, language, physical, cognitive, and emotional skills higher on the naturalized playground than the equipment-based playground. Thematic analysis of the open-ended questions revealed four main themes. The first theme, <em>the naturalized playground supports children’s connections with nature which is beneficial for their learning and development</em>, draws attention to the value educators perceived in strengthening children’s connection with nature. Educators felt that meaningful interactions with nature were enhanced and that children’s awareness of and interest in nature increased. The second theme indicated that <em>the naturalized playground has more open and varied play opportunities which support all aspects of the children’s development</em>. Key findings within the theme highlighted that the naturalized playground facilitated development by: (1) providing variety in type and developmental level of play, (2) encouraging more exploration and open-ended play, and (3) offering more freedom and choice. Aspects of children’s development that were supported by the naturalized playground were perceived to include physical, emotional, social, creative and cognitive growth. The third theme revealed the perception that <em>the children are more engaged in their play on the naturalized playground which is beneficial for their learning and development</em>. On the naturalized playground, children demonstrated higher levels of engagement, excitement and independence. Children were also more in control of their play, demonstrated growth in their ability to independently solve problems and remained engaged in play longer. The final theme revealed that <em>structural features of the naturalized playground can either benefit or hinder the children’s learning and development</em>. A key finding here was that the naturalized playground reduced educators’ safety- and behavior-related concerns. With fewer conflicts and behavior management challenges and less safety issues, educators felt opportunities for learning and development were enhanced. However, some challenges were also identified. These were primarily focused on temporary concerns regarding the initial implementation and the time needed for the playground to develop as a natural space (such as the gardens needing time to become established).
The study revealed early childhood educators’ perceptions and understandings of the enhanced opportunities for children’s play, learning and development that were encouraged through naturalization of a playground. Consistent with previous research, the findings suggest that children’s holistic development can be supported by naturalized playgrounds. The study also indicates that naturalized playgrounds may require some time to become established before all potential learning and development benefits can be actualized. Future research might “investigate how naturalized playgrounds evolve over time and the impact this may have on children’s learning and development.” The researchers also recommend that future research examine “the roles that educators take within naturalized playgrounds and how these intersect with children’s experiences of independence and freedom.”
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