Research

Natural play spaces provide health benefits for children, UT research finds

Freya Lucas

Jul 10, 2019

Save

Playgrounds and play spaces for children that mimic the natural environment have physical and mental benefits for preschool children, a study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) has found.

The study, published last month in Children, Youth, and Environments, began when researchers set out to redesign the outdoor play space at a Knoxville Head Start facility — a preschool program for children from low-income households and their families — to include features inspired by natural green spaces and forests, and to learn how the changes impact children’s play patterns.

The incorporation of natural elements in playgrounds was shown to positively influence children’s motor skill development and physical activity and to enrich the preschool curriculum.

Lead author, Professor Mary Jane Moran, said “The addition of garden spaces can be used to cultivate reading, math, and science skills.”

The playground used in the research was overhauled in 2014 over a two-day period by a team of 40 volunteers. Some of the playground’s metal equipment, including a seesaw, chin-up bars, and spring rocking toys, was replaced with logs, boulders, and a dry creek bed. Garden boxes were also installed, along with trees and a pergola for shade.

Researchers then used direct observation and other tools to collect data on physical activity levels, which allowed them to quantify the benefits of the new playground. The analysis of this data will be part of a different study.

The project was a collaboration between UT’s Department of Child and Family Studies and Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sports Studies, as well as the UT Early Learning Center for Research and Practice and Knox County Head Start.

Don’t miss a thing

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Water safety remains at the forefront of national concern, as drowning continues to be the leading cause of accidental death for children aged 0-4.

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

The journey to embed ecological identity is a personal one, as identity sits close to one’s heart and is shaped from our own foundational years. For myself, it was founded in warm summer afternoons playing in the rockpools along the beaches in Sydney, discovering the names of all the little creatures that lurked there, including the starfish that suctioned to my curious fingertips.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Integrated school and early learning hubs linked to stronger transitions and family engagement

A new evaluation has found that integrating early learning, health and family support services within schools significantly improves access for families and strengthens outcomes for children, adding momentum to calls for expansion of integrated hubs across Victoria.

AERO reports growing uptake of evidence-based practice across schools and ECEC

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has reported increasing adoption of its evidence-based guidance across Australian schools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, signalling a strengthening national focus on research-informed practice.