Outdoor Playground Design Criteria Development for Early Childhood Development: A Delphi Study from the Perspective of Fundamental Movement Skills and Perceptual-Motor Skills.

Heejun Jeon,Sunhye Jun

doi:10.3390/ijerph18084159

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to discover adequate and environmental outdoor playground design criteria based on the collected opinions of experts. Taking the case of South Korea into account, this research focuses on the development of a new outdoor playground design criteria that could offset the limited motor activities and environmental use which has been restricted by the current regulations. In particular, this research approaches the issue from the perspective of children’s fundamental movement skills and the development of their perceptual-motor abilities. The research conducted three rounds of a Delphi survey and held a consensus of experts in child development, child physical education, and playground designs. The research achieved results defining 9 categories and 23 items within the categories of design criteria for outdoor playgrounds. Significantly, the discussions were not limited to children’s holistic development—from motor and physical development to attaining mental, social, and cognitive skills—but also included discussions of children’s dynamic interaction with the surrounding nature and environment, especially in challenge making and risk taking.

Highlights

Akin to the holistic development of a child, designing outdoor play spaces to adjust to nature and enhance childhood perception and motor abilities arose as a primary task for child development [6,7]
The sequential sections that follow are the results found from the three rounds of Delphi survey. They refer to the collected consensus on design criteria adequate for outdoor playgrounds from the perspective of children’s perceptual-motor abilities and fundamental movement skills (FMS)
The design criteria for outdoor playgrounds attained from this research finding contain the basic items of consideration necessary for playground designers

Summary

Introduction

Ever since early childhood development has been globally discussed under the pervasion of “education for all”, outdoor play experience in early childhood has been perceived as important for building a solid foundation for one’s lifelong learning and wellbeing [1,2]. This sense of quality, sustainable care, and education for young children lies in its relation to their holistic development: in cognition, physical strength, mental health, social relationships, etc. Akin to the holistic development of a child, designing outdoor play spaces to adjust to nature and enhance childhood perception and motor abilities arose as a primary task for child development [6,7]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion