“To Touch The Surface Is To Stir The Depths”. What Is The Association Between Children’s Play Behaviours And Various Surfaces In The Early Childhood Education Institutions (Eces) Outdoor Environment?

This study is based on the assumption that surfaces in outdoor environments in Early Childhood Education institutions (ECEs) appears to have an important influence on children’s play diversity. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between children’s play behaviours and various surfaces in the ECEs outdoor environment. Describing the ecological laws of surfaces, Gibson claims that surfaces are important because this is where human action happens. Children explore the affordances of surfaces, and some surfaces may lead to a diversity of play behaviour while others affords a more narrow range of actions. This study is conducted within a three-year mixed-methods project. The sample consisted of 464 video observations (mean duration of 122 seconds) of 79 children’s free play in the outdoor environments of eight ECEs. Children’s functional-, constructive-, and social play were analyzed related to the surfaces of the playground. Multilevel regression analysis, controlled for children’s age and gender, indicate that functional play is positively associated with surfaces resistant to deformation (e.g. rubber), and constructive play is positively associated with surfaces of low resistance to disintegration (e.g. sand or forest floor). The results are relevant for developing and designing outdoor environments facilitating children’s play diversity in ECEs.