Preschool children's use and perceptions of outdoor play areas

Forty preschool children (20 boys and 20 girls), aged approximately 5 years, were observed during outdoor playtimes, using a time-sampling procedure which recorded descriptions of behaviour. Each child was interviewed about his or her perceptions of the observed play. A significant negative correlation was obtained between physical play and creative play. Length of outdoor play was associated with incidence of creative play. Boys engaged in more total physical play than girls, however, except for manipulative physical play, separate physical categories did not differ significantly in terms of time. Qualitative differences in girls' and boys' play were revealed through descriptive behavioural records and interview data. The majority of children perceived that outdoor play was independent and did not require assistance from the teacher. Results suggest that a free-play outdoor progamme may be insufficient to achieve physical objectives and that teachers need to monitor the quality of play to facilitate more effective use of outdoor areas.