Perspectives from the Ground: Early Childhood Educators' Perceptions of Outdoor Play Spaces at Child Care Centers

Abstract

This study asked Early Childhood Educators (ECE) to evaluate the outdoor play space at their childcare center. They were asked what aspects were successful or unsuccessful, and what they would change about their outdoor play space if they could. Methods included focus group interviews with ECE at each of the 14 participating centers and two multi-center workshops. We used a Kruskal-Wallis Test to analyze ECE evaluations relative to the centers' locations, layout, and presence of plant material. Outdoor play spaces with plants had significantly more positive responses from ECE, averaging 11 positive responses versus four for spaces without plants. Coding and analysis of interview notes found that 79 percent of the ECE wanted more sensory stimuli, 64 percent wanted more space, and 57 percent desired more challenging equipment, suggesting that these are important features in outdoor play spaces for young children.