Young children engage in higher quality play in nature than in non-nature settingsPlay in natural environments benefits children’s healthy development. Previous literature reviews have identified gains in children’s cognitive, motor skill, and social-emotional growth through nature-based play. This systematic review of qualitative studies builds upon existing knowledge by exploring how natural environments contribute to play quality. Focused on early childhood educational contexts, the review investigates the value of play in nature-based environments as compared to non-nature settings for young children’s developmental outcomes.
A search of the existing literature was conducted to identify qualitative studies focused on young children’s nature play in early childhood educational settings. Only peer-reviewed studies, published in English between May 1995 and 2022, were considered for inclusion in the review. Studies of children with special needs or disabilities were excluded from the search. The search identified 28 studies, involving a total of 998 children aged 3–8 years. The majority of studies utilized only qualitative research designs, but several employed a mixed methods approach. The studies were mainly based on observations of play behaviors and interviews with teachers and children, although a few used validated instruments to assess play quality. Studies either compared play on a nature-based playground to play on a traditional playground or compared play at a forest school to indoor and/or outdoor classroom play. A meta-ethnography approach was utilized to analyze and synthesize findings across studies. The researchers also considered the reviewed studies’ theoretical approaches.
Across studies, three overarching themes were identified: “(1) the aspects of play quality that are related to nature-based environments, (2) the aspects of nature-based environments that support play, and (3) the aspects of teacher-child interactions that contribute to nature play quality.” Findings within the first theme indicate that children’s quality of play is improved in natural settings. This included a broader diversity of play actions and behaviors involving cognitive skills (such as creative and socio-dramatic play) and longer play durations, as compared to play in non-nature settings. Children’s engagement, joy and wellbeing during play was also enhanced while playing in nature. Theme 2 suggests that higher play quality is related to specific aspects of natural environments which invite play. Reviewed studies point to a clear connection between the abundance of natural materials and the quality of children’s play activities, which further support cognitive outcomes, and the "living character of nature” inspired children’s curiosity, wonder, and play. The third theme focused on how teacher-child interactions influence play quality. Teachers who encouraged greater independence enabled more opportunities for risky play, creativity, exploration, and the development of self-confidence. Interestingly, nature settings shifted teachers’ expectations of children’s skills and behavior and in nature “children were more cooperative, showed more pro-social behavior and remained more on task.” Additionally, teachers with an affinity for nature were more supportive of children’s mobility and agency.
The review highlights the relationship between natural settings and play quality and how the interactive, living environment along with teachers’ mediation of play can facilitate children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and motor development. The researchers conclude that “nature-based environments function as a play partner that helps children to transform the perceptual world into a conceptual world, because it diversifies play, is sensory rich and it plays back.” It is important for early childhood educators to provide opportunities for daily nature play and to mediate children’s interactions with nature to optimize nature play’s developmental value.
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