Structural conditions for children's play in kindergarten

Marianne Torve Martinsen

doi:10.7577/nbf.1426

Abstract

This article explores how the organisation of children, physical space and materials influences the structural conditions of play in kindergartens in Norway. The main purpose is to analyse relations between the organizational model of the kindergarten and these structural conditions of play. The result are based on a survey and interviews with head teachers and pedagogical leaders from 127 kindergartens. The results indicate that the kindergarten’s choice of organizational model provides varying structural conditions for children`s play. One can conclude that some of the variables included in the study, like access to play materials and group size, may promote the quality of children’s play.

Highlights

The Scandinavian kindergarten model, characterised by a comprehensive view of learning where care, play and learning are considered interlinked, has had a prominent role in Norwegian kindergartens
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the organisation of children, space and materials in kindergarten may promote or restrict children’s opportunity to play, by answering the following research question: Is there a link between the organizational model of the kindergarten and structural conditions of play? Data used in this paper are generated in The Behaviour Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study1
The structural conditions for play are illustrated through a presentation of the available space and along with a descriptive presentation of which materials and toys are available in the kindergartens

Summary

Introduction

The Scandinavian kindergarten model, characterised by a comprehensive view of learning where care, play and learning are considered interlinked, has had a prominent role in Norwegian kindergartens. The role of play is of prime importance in policy documents such as The Framework Plan for Content and Tasks for Kindergartens (The Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research, 2011) and Parliamentary White Paper no. 24, The Kindergarten of the Future (The Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research, 2013) In these documents play is described as a basic tool for life and learning through which children express themselves. According to the recent revision of the purpose of kindergartens (The Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research, 2011) there should still be a broad approach to children’s learning; play should have a greater role and play. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the organisation of children, space and materials in kindergarten may promote or restrict children’s opportunity to play, by answering the following research question: Is there a link between the organizational model of the kindergarten and structural conditions of play? Data used in this paper are generated in The Behaviour Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study ( referred to as BONDS; Ogden, Nærde, Janson, Bergerud, & Bjørknes, 2006)

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