Natural play space at a zoo exhibit influences children's play and parents' knowledge, perceptions and intention to visit natural areasAs highly visited community educational institutions, zoos can help to raise awareness of, encourage family visits to, and influence perceptions of the value of local natural areas. The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida created a children’s play space intended to accomplish these goals. This study evaluated the <em>Paws On </em>play space at the zoo to determine whether such an exhibit can have an impact on family visitation to local natural areas by “providing a positive children’s play experience in a simulated natural area, increasing awareness and knowledge about local natural areas, and increasing procedural knowledge about visiting and enjoying natural areas."
Information about visitor experiences at the exhibit and impacts on parents’ knowledge of and visits to natural areas was collected through a robust number of exhibit observations, onsite surveys, and follow-up surveys. Observations of families using the <em>Paws On</em> space showed that children were engaged in highly physical play (e.g., running, splashing), constructive play (e.g., working with each other to build structures), and sociodramatic play (e.g., pretending to be animals or researchers). Responses to the onsite survey indicated that the <em>Paws On </em>exhibit enabled children to play differently than they usually do in terms of level of imagination, education, and structure of play at the zoo exhibit as compared to their play in other places (e.g., playground). Follow-up survey participants reported that time spent at the exhibit increased their interest in visiting nearby natural areas with their family (70%), encouraged them to visit natural areas where their children could play (85%), and increased their care and concern about other local natural areas (71%).
Data collection measures for this study were developed by an evaluation team, reviewed by a variety of stakeholders, and pilot tested. There were 391 completed onsite surveys providing information about “visitor perceptions of the exhibit, use of the various play areas and signs, information learned, and intent to visit the local Indian River Lagoon.” Follow-up surveys, completed by 114 local residents, provided additional information on visitor demographics, knowledge, attitudes regarding local natural areas, and intention to visit those areas.
This study acknowledges that for parents to take their children to play in nature they “must not only believe that the benefits of doing the activity outweigh the costs, they must also know how to successfully manage the new activity.” By offering children’s play areas that are modeled on local natural areas and offer information that supports further exploration, zoos and other environmental education centers may help families to begin or continue their interest in, exploration of, and care for their natural environment.
The Bottom Line