Purpose
The study investigates the similarities and differences between children’s outdoor play in an outdoor kindergarten in England and an outdoor kindergarten in Denmark. The investigation focuses on how children’s play develops depending on whether they are alone, with an adult or with other children.
Result
The results show that children in both the Danish and English outdoor kindergartens made similar decisions about how they played, where they played, what resources they used, and who they played with. In the English kindergarten, toys and resources were provided by adults before each session, while in Denmark, the children organised the play and chose resources themselves. This led to differences in play, where the Danish children showed a greater degree of independence and initiative while playing. In addition, the study showed that fixed/permanent equipment such as sandpits and climbing frames were used creatively in both settings.
Design
The study included six children, three from kindergarten, aged three to four years. Observations were conducted over five sessions, during which the researcher was a participant. The children were observed in various play situations, such as climbing trees, playing in the sandpit, and participating in role play in a playhouse. Semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into children’s play preferences. In addition, a total of eight kindergarten teachers in both kindergartens were interviewed to confirm the findings from the observations.
References
Mackinder, M. (2022). A bird’s eye view: comparing young children’s play in Forest School in England with Forest Kindergarten in Denmark. Education, 3-13, 52(5), 718–735. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2022.2126284