Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Natural Playscapes

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Defining the Concept and Its Importance

Natural playscape is a play space that includes all living and non-living things that are naturally occurring on Earth (Bredin, 2020). As a form of active outdoor play, nature play is play that happens primarily outside in a natural environment and/or involved play with natural elements and features (water, mud, rocks, hills, forests), and natural loose parts (sticks, pine cones, leaves, grass) (Bredin, 2020). Natural playscapes vary in diversity from park to park and region to region (Prescott, 1987). The diversity and qualities of nature present a large variety of environmental constraints because every child's differing abilities afford them different ways to interact with the landscape and can increase their motivation to play (Bredin, 2020; Prescott, 1987). Natural playscapes are more attractive and exciting because the unbuilt and unstructured environment is a preference that children choose over man-made structures that restrain how children should play (Fjortoft&Sageie, 2000; Titman, 1994). Imaginative play is nearly limitless in a natural playscape because there are no set structures of which children have to abide by and they can freely think and challenge the bounds of nature and all it provides (Bredin, 2020; Høgskulen på Vestlandet, 2017). Because the diversity within a natural playscape allows nearly every type of play, it makes it the perfect place for children to learn basic movement concepts, fundamental motor skills, sensory development, fine motor skills, and complex or higher level movement skills. Through interacting with the natural affordances of this type of playscape it is rich way that children can further their development (Bredin, 2020; Høgskulen på Vestlandet, 2017; Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013; Moore, 1985). There are so many possibilities to engage in various activities that get the body moving.

Natural playscapes promotes socialization and cooperation between children because natural playscapes are common places for children to gather (Bredin, 2020; Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013). Natural playscapes motivate children to explore with nature, interact and build with natural materials, and actively move from one setting to another (Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013).

Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations

Natural playscapes facilitate many types of play in children, but two types of play are most common in this playscape and as such provide many benefits to the developing child: nature play and risky play. Nature play is stimulates many of the child's senses (touch, smell, sight) and sensory development is extremely important in the early years of life (Bredin, 2020; Fjortoft & Sageie, 2000). Natural features of the topography and vegetation within these varied playscapes are abundant in what they provide children to explore and experiment with to challenge their own movement capabilities (Fjortoft & Sageie, 2000; Nicholson, 1971). This leads to the stimulation of inventiveness and creativity, the more number and kind of features in an environment, the greater the stimulation (Fjortoft & Sageie, 2000). With natural playscapes, there are endless possibilities for children to play and not be limited by man-made structures.

Natural playscapes are important for children to experience exploratory behaviours. Exploratory behaviours are needed for the development of gross motor skills, self-regulation, concrete operational though, and a sense of initiative (Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013). The open-ended circuitous pathways and play areas of natural playscapes promotes exploration and discovery (Nicholson, 1971). Through exploration and discovery children’s social play and concentration is improved (Fjortoft & Sageie, 2000). According to Kuh et al. (2013), the vegetation, terrain, and organic elements of natural playscapes help develop different areas in early childhood. The vegetation is used to create play habitats; the terrain such as slopes and flat landscapes promote varied physical movements; and the organic elements foster play, investigation, and fine motor activities (Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013). Children aged 5-7 who spend playtime in natural outdoor environments had a higher development of physical and motor fitness in areas of strength, balance, and coordination (Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013). By designing and building their own worlds with nature, children can better grasp the responsibilities and interconnectedness of the bigger world in which they live (Ogu & Schmidt, 2013). This approach results in a deeper, more meaningful, and long-lasting learning (Ogu & Schmidt, 2013).

Within urban settings, especially in cities that continue to grow, green spaces where natural playscapes would be found are disappearing to make way for building development (UNICEF, 2018). The areas that are devoted to children's play within these urban settings are generally structured playgrounds that are absent of natural elements (Bredin, 2020; UNICEF, 2018). This means that young children growing up within urban areas may never even experience a natural playscape because they are not easily accessible. This poses many issues because natural playscapes foster a much diminishing type of play: risky play. Risky play means that children learn to use their own judgement of their capabilities against a type of play has the possibility of injury. Playing among the elements is one factor of risky play, and one that leads to children learn from trial and error as well personal emotional benefits like persistence and self-esteem when they overcome a motor skill challenge and master a new movement skill (Bredin, 2020). Another type of play that diminishes as natural playscapes are reduced is nature play. Studies show that when being in nature has shown to reduce feelings of isolation and fosters feelings of control in children, which is important now more than ever during the COVID-19 measures of physical distancing and play opportunities being reduced for children (Bredin, 2020).

In the big picture of children's movement patterns, there is an abundance of evidence that shows that children are engaging in more sedentary activities and this is contributing to the reality that many children are not meeting their physical activity guidelines (Bredin, 2020; UNICEF, 2018). There are many reasons why this is true and one is that parents are hyper-focused on replacing what would normally be a time that is spent playing (after-school, day-care and pre-kindergarten) with early academic acquisition like reading and math programs (Bredin, 2020). As physical activity classes in schools are reduced, and recess becomes less centred around play, this is another reason children are losing opportunities to play outside and in natural playscapes (Kuh, Ponte & Chau, 2013). There are so many benefits that come from actively playing outside that benefit the cognitive domain, and therefore lead to higher success in the academic setting (Bredin, 2020). Children who actively play are shown to have better behavioural regulation such as working memory, inhibitory control and attentional focus (Bredin, 2020). Unfortunately these issues come from a lack of understanding that play is not separate from learning; play is learning! And natural playscapes are a limitless classroom in which a child can learn from.

Practical Applications

  • Hide and seek
    Hide-and-Seek
    • The purpose of the game is for one player, the seeker, to find the other player(s), the hider(s). Younger kids can learn to identify their surroundings, while older children can optimize their surroundings and behaviour
    • The target age of this game varies, as adaptations allow for ages 2 to 12+ to play (see modifications), this can be played with 2+ players
    • While no specific apparatus or equipment are required, for optimal play, natural playscapes that involve trees, large rocks, trunks, bushes are favored
    • Instructions: The seeker closes their eye and counts to a pre-set number, while the hiders hide; once the seeker is done counting, they open their eyes and look for the hiders
    • Modifications: This game allows for children of all ages to play.
      • Younger children 2- ~5 can benefit from this game by learning to identify their surroundings to find good hiding spots; when playing with this age range the seeker counts to 10-20 depending on what number they are able to count to, and then looks for the hiders. Both the seekers and hiders can feel accomplished when the hiders are found
      • As children grow, 6-12, the focus of the game can change and be adapted for more enjoyment. A common adaptation is to add a home base for the seeker, so when a hider is found, the seeker and hider race back to the home base, if the hider is first to tag the home base, the hider is safe from becoming the next seeker, this adds a more advanced level of competition and adds running to the game
  • Grounders
    • Somewhat like a game of tag, in Grounders there’s an “it” person trying to catch the other players who must avoid becoming “it”. As the game requires players to not be touching the ground, this forces their creativity in getting off the ground and making use of their natural environment, its features and loose parts
    • The target age is 7- 12+, and ideally 4+ players
    • While often played in playgrounds, this game can be played in natural playscapes that have many different leveled features, such as trees, fallen trunks, rocks, and leaf piles in a smaller designated area. No other equipment is necessary
    • One player is “it”, this player closes their eyes and allows for others to get at a starting position. The “it” player then wanders around with closed eyes, and can attempt to catch the next “it” by i) trying to tag one of the other players, or ii) the “it” player may catch someone by yelling “grounders”, if any players are on the ground when “grounders” is called out, they become “it”. “Grounders” can’t be called too frequently, a time limit may be set, such as every 10 seconds
    • Modifications:
      • Playing grounders in a natural playscape is a modification from the classic playground setting
      • Different time limits to how often “grounders” is called can also be a modification
      • In the case that “grounders” is called when multiple players are on the ground, there becomes multiple”it’s”

Summary

Natural playscapes are an arena for many different kinds of play and benefit every domain of a child's development. The topography of the land enriches a child's movement experiences because nature's elements create unique affordances by which they play and learn from. Playing outside gets children moving, sparks their imagination, and provides many sensory experiences.  Playing in nature helps children feel less isolated and more in control of their feelings. Because physical activity in children is at a decline it’s important to advocate for the protection of natural playscapes; making natural playscapes accessible is key in encouraging movement.

Works Cited

Bredin, S. (2020). Module 3: Playspaces. KIN 355 Movement Experiences for Young Children. School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia

Fjortoft, I., & Sageie, J. (2000). The natural environment as a playground for children: Landscape description and analyses of a natural playscape. Landscape and Urban Planning, 48(1), 83-97. doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00045-1

Høgskulen på Vestlandet - HVL (2017, October 3). Motor Skills Development in Children 1 to 6 years [Video]. Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0d5WQH8guQ

Kuh, L. P., Ponte, I., & Chau, C. (2013). The impact of a natural playscape installation on young children's play behaviors. Children, Youth and Environments, 23(2), 49-77. doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.23.2.0049

Moore, G.T., 1985. State of the art in play environments. In: Frost, J.L., Sunderlin, S. (Eds.), When Children Play. Proceedings of the International Conference on Play and Play Environments. Association for Childhood Education International.

Nicholson, S., 1971. How NOT to cheat children. The theory of loose parts. Landscape Architecture 62, 30±34.

Ogu, U., & Schmidt, S. R. (2013). The natural playscape project: A real-world study with kindergartners. YC Young Children, 68(4), 32

Prescott, E., 1987. The physical environment and cognitive development in child-care centres. In: Weinstein, C.S., David, T.G (Eds.), Spaces for Children. Plenum Press, New York.

Titman, W., 1994. Special Places, Special People. The Hidden Curriculum of School Grounds. WWF UK (World Wide Fund For Nature)/Learning Through Landscapes.

Unicef. (2018). Shaping urbanization for children handbook. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/UNICEF_Shaping_urbanization_for_children_handbook_2018.pdf

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