Abstract
To be able to plan a diverse and flexible environment in kindergartens, available and adequate space is needed, preferably an open and coherent space adaptable to change. Hence, size itself is a factor to control and regulate to ensure that children’s needs are met. The aim of this study was to investigate how the utilization of outdoor space responded to changes in applied norms and law over time. The hypothesis was that needs for space of a more administrative nature, such as parking, have been prioritized over play area. To test this hypothesis, 201 public kindergartens in Oslo’s outer city that offer full-day service were studied. The main findings were that the gross size of kindergartens in Oslo decreased by 12.6 m2 per child for those built after 2006 compared to those built before 1975, due to legal changes in these time intervals, and that play space per child constituted more than half of this decrease. In the same time period, the reduction in space for parking and roads on the premises decreased by only 1.6%. This finding suggests that norms founded in laws win the battle over space, even if this indirectly compromises the meeting of children’s needs for an adequate outdoor play area.
Highlights
It is well-known that free play is important for many aspects of children’s development
The possibility to play in a spacious outdoor environment offers benefits that cannot be achieved solely through indoor play, because children are more motivated to engage in physical activities and play more intensively in the outdoor environment due to a greater freedom of movement (Giske, Tjensvoll, & Dyrstad, 2010)
According to Grindberg & Langlo (2000: 15) planners have a duty to provide good possibilities for physical activity in the kindergarten, while it is grounded in children’s needs for movement and the growing understanding of how important multiple motor experiences are for their complete development
Summary
It is well-known that free play is important for many aspects of children’s development. According to Grindberg & Langlo (2000: 15) planners have a duty to provide good possibilities for physical activity in the kindergarten, while it is grounded in children’s needs for movement and the growing understanding of how important multiple motor experiences are for their complete development (in Norway, the word “kindergarten” describes a pedagogic service for children from 1 to 5 years of age and is used in this article). Play provides opportunities for children to learn social interaction, and all parents aspire for their children to be successful in these interactions. This success is a measure of the children’s social well-being, and is marked by their ability to develop and sustain friendships and to cooperate, lead and follow. If the environment prevents multiple motor experiences this can lead to physiological immaturity, retarded growth and weight gain, and delayed bodily emotional and mental development (Sandborgh, 1982)
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