Twenty families living in two different Auckland, New Zealand neighborhoods participated in a study on seasonal outdoor play experiences. The purpose of the study was to investigate how children and their families assess the merits of playspaces in different seasons in central city and suburban locations.
Eleven families participating in this study lived in Beach Haven, a suburban community; nine families lived in Central Auckland, a central city neighborhood. All participating children (age 8 -10) lived with their birth parents and were representative of the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the different study sites.
Children participated in interviews and drawing exercises, once in the summer and once in the winter. They were asked to draw a map of places they liked and didn't like spending their time. The drawings were used to prompt discussion about the children's outdoor play experiences during the different seasons. During the discussions, children were also asked to share their feelings about the playspaces, the different seasons, and any obstacles keeping them from accessing suitable outdoor playspaces. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the parents, one in the winter and one in the summer. Parents were asked to talk about their parenting practices related to outdoor play and to share their thoughts about any perceived locational and social barriers to their children playing outdoors during the different seasons. The interviews with the children and the parents were audio taped and then transcribed.
Findings indicated that seasonal play norms – especially in the suburban neighborhood – shaped the children's play behaviors. Suburban children were expected to retreat indoors during the winter. There seemed to be an unspoken rule that being out and about during the winter was inappropriate. Summer was considered the season for outdoor play. For the urban children, indoor play was the year-round norm. The central city environment was considered primarily as a place for adults. Seasonal weather conditions also influenced perceptions about the suitability of outdoor play in the urban location. Both children and parents indicated that wet conditions during the winter were a barrier to outdoor play.
All the participating children valued playground and parks within walking distances of their homes, yet they considered these playspaces to be suitable only during the summer. While many of the suburban children were free to access the neighborhood parks on their own, the urban children depended on their parents to attend the parks, as it was the norm for urban children to be under constant adult supervision in public spaces.
Overall, the results of this study indicate that locational, seasonal, and family norms play a role in shaping children's outdoor play practices.
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