What are Schoolchildren doing Out There? Children's Perspectives on Affordances in Unedited Places

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-205
Author(s):  
Maria Hammarsten
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Interaction Time ◽  
After School ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Children’S Perspectives ◽  
Limited Access ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Physical Features

In many contexts, children have limited access to outdoor environments with natural features in their daily lives, while outdoor settings for children tend to be designed by adults, from an adult perspective. The aim of the study is to explore what schoolchildren do in outdoor settings with natural features, and to gain a better understanding of what these places mean to them. The data were collected using children's photographs and individual walk-and-talk conversations with seventeen schoolchildren aged 8 to 9 in four Swedish after-school educare settings. The analysis used the concept of 'affordances' to describe both the significance of physical features in the places and the use that the children made of these features. Findings suggest that the outdoor places with natural features that had not been 'edited' by adults to serve predetermined purposes offered space for exploration, imagination and free play. The places offered immersive experiences with all senses, as well as physical activity, social interaction, time to be alone, and opportunities for the children to invent their own activities.

Inclusion Understood From the Perspectives of Children With Disability

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere ◽  
E. Jane Watkinson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Brachial Plexus Injury ◽  
Developmental Coordination Disorder ◽  
Nemaline Myopathy ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Children’S Perspectives ◽  
Children With Disability ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Coordination Disorder

This study explored the perspectives of children with disabilities regarding the concept of inclusion in physical activity. Participants were children (two girls, nine boys, Mage = 10 years, five months, age range: 8–12 years) with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, fine and gross motor delays, developmental coordination disorder, muscular dystrophy, nemaline myopathy, brachial plexus injury, and severe asthma. Children’s perspectives on inclusion in physical activity (e.g., sports, games, and play) were explored through semistructured interviews. Interviews were digitally audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed through content analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: gaining entry to play, feeling like a legitimate participant, and having friends. These themes were associated with feeling included to varying degrees in sports, games, and play. In essence, it was the actions of others that were the prominent features identified by children that contributed to feeling more or less included in physical activity contexts. These results are discussed in relation to inclusion in physical education, recreation, and unstructured free play.

Structure of Physical Activity Opportunities Contribution to Children’s Physical Activity Levels in After-School Programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 512-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Chandler ◽  
Keith Brazendale ◽  
Clemens Drenowatz ◽  
Justin B. Moore ◽  
Xuemei Sui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Free Play ◽  
After School Programs ◽  
Mixed Effects Models ◽  
After School ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity

Background: The primary purpose of this study was to determine which physical activity (PA) opportunity elicits the most moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) in after-school programs. This study used a 3-group cross-over design in which participants were exposed to 3 variations of activity structures: free play, organized, or a mixture. Methods: PA was measured using ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. All data were transformed into percentage of time spent sedentary or in MVPA. Repeated-measures mixed-effects models were used to examine differences in MVPA and sedentary among the 3 activity sessions. Participants included 197 unique children, aged 5–12 years, and were 53% male and 55% white. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in the percentage of time boys spent in MVPA during free play and mixed compared with organized only sessions (35.8% and 34.8% vs 29.4%). No significant difference was observed in the percentage of time girls spent in MVPA during free play compared with organized or mixed (27.2% and 26.1% vs 26.1%). Both boys and girls experienced ∼10% less time sedentary during free play compared with the others. Conclusion: Offering free play during PA opportunities can help children attain as much if not more MVPA compared with only offering organized, adult-led games.

Effects of Segregated and Integrated Programs on the Participation and Social Interaction of Moderately Mentally Handicapped Children in Play

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Titus ◽  
E. Jane Watkinson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Activity Participation ◽  
Mentally Handicapped ◽  
Event Recorder ◽  
Handicapped Children ◽  
Duration Data ◽  
Integrated Programs ◽  
Physical Activity Programs

This study examined the behavior of moderately mentally handicapped children in integrated and segregated programs. Seven subjects 5 to 10 years of age were observed during free play in two programs, one integrated and one segregated, to determine if they would benefit from placement in physical activity programs with nonhandicapped children. Socialization and activity participation were examined using a simple eight-category instrument on videotaped data. The presence or absence of play vehicles was also investigated to determine whether this play equipment would further affect behavior. Some 300 minutes of videotaped data were available for each subject. Behavior durations were recorded using an OS-3 Event Recorder. Inter-observer agreements were calculated on 15% of the data, with mean agreements of .96. Duration data were transformed to percentage of observable time for each subject in integrated and segregated settings, and when play vehicles were and were not available. Results from the study generally did not support the assumption that exposure to integrated programs will increase activity participation and social interaction. Activity participation did not appear to be affected by the presence of play vehicles in the environment. Social interaction levels were reduced significantly under this condition.

scholarly journals Development of Australian physical activity and screen time guidelines for outside school hours care: an international Delphi study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Virgara ◽  
Anna Phillips ◽  
Lucy Lewis ◽  
Mandy Richardson ◽  
Carol Maher
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Guideline Development ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
National Level ◽  
Free Play ◽  
After School ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Stakeholder Consultation

Abstract Background Children’s activity patterns in the periods before and after school make a key contribution to achieving 24-h movement guidelines. There are currently no national-level guidelines informing physical activity and screen time practices in Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs anywhere in the world. This study aimed to work with industry, government and academic stakeholders to develop draft physical activity and screen time guidelines for use in Australian OSHC. Methods A 4-round online Delphi survey was conducted from May 2019 to January 2020. The Delphi participants included national and international experts and stakeholders from academia, education, government, health and the OSHC sectors. Round 1 consisted of open-ended questions exploring physical activity, screen time and sedentary behaviour in various periods of OSHC (before school, after school and vacation care). In rounds 2 and 3, participants rated the importance of items generated from the first round for inclusion in national guidelines using a Likert scale (1–9). Consensus was defined a priori as ≥80% of respondents rating an item as “critically important” (score 7–9). Between rounds 3 and 4, the guideline development panel used the consensus items, systematic review evidence, and followed the GRADE process, to draft the guidelines. In round 4, participants were invited to provide feedback on the draft guidelines and comment on barriers and enablers to implementation. Results Sixty-seven stakeholders agreed to participate, with response rates 61, 81, 54 and 72% for the four rounds respectively. Of the 123 items generated across the three rounds, 48 statements achieved consensus agreement as critically important for inclusion in the guidelines. These included offering a variety of physical activities (free play, playground and equipment) and restriction of screen time. The final round provided feedback on the draft guidelines. The wording of the guidelines was found to be appropriate and preliminary enablers and barriers to implementation were identified. Conclusions This world-first expert and stakeholder consultation has underpinned the development of the draft Australian guidelines for physical activity and screen time in OSHC. Ongoing work is needed to further refine the guidelines, determine current rates of compliance with the guidelines and implement the guidelines into practice.

scholarly journals Levelling the Playing Fields: A Pilot Intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Alexander ◽  
K Frohlich
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Outdoor Play ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Independent Mobility ◽  
Pilot Intervention

Abstract Despite the benefits of outdoor free-play for children (physical activity, well-being, independent mobility), access to urban spaces for play is on the decline in many cities. As such, there are increasing calls from public health officials, city planners and childhood advocates in Canada to promote outdoor play in cities. Responding to these calls, our pilot intervention will examine whether creating urban play spaces through road closures around schools and in neighbourhoods can increase children’s outdoor play, physical activity and social interaction among residents. The year-long intervention will involve road closures in four Montreal (Canada) neighbourhoods with different socio-economic profiles. After a diagnostic portrait of each site, participatory planning will engage children aged 8-12 and youth aged 13-18 to help redesign their neighbourhood streets for better access and playability. Outdoor play will be measured using a “playability index” to determine if increased outdoor play is due to intervention changes. Children’s physical activity, play and mobility patterns will be captured with GPS loggers and accelerometers, and play duration and location will be recorded through daily diaries. Questionnaires will be given to parents and children regarding changing behaviours and perceptions about outdoor play, risk/safety and independent mobility. While still in a pilot phase, this paper will present the intervention approach and outline how it promises to impact multiple components of urban life for children and adults (physical/mental health, safety, social interaction, environment/equity). The intervention is innovative by engaging children and families in its design and development, and by involving schools, municipalities and residents in its implementation and assessment. This co-creation and development promises broad impacts on local social practices and policy development, results which may be transferable to other Canadian and international cities. Key messages Access to urban outdoor play is critical for children’s well-being. Road closures can increase urban outdoor play, thereby contributing to physical and mental health and promoting social interaction. Child and youth participation in the planning and development of urban play spaces can increase their relevance and broaden their social, environmental, health and policy impacts.

The Effects of Prompts and a Group-Oriented Contingency on Out-of-School Physical Activity in Elementary School-Aged Students

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hastie ◽  
Hans van der Mars ◽  
Todd Layne ◽  
Danielle Wadsworth
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Free Play ◽  
After School ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Out Of School Time ◽  
School Time ◽  
Bonus Points ◽  
Verbal Prompts ◽  
Out Of School ◽  
Teacher Prompts

This study examined the effectiveness of three conditions in which 48 fourth-grade students were prompted to be physically active out of school. Using an alternating treatments design (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007) the three intervention conditions included: (a) Baseline: No prompting of students, (b) Teacher Prompts: Verbal prompt to “remember to do something active after school today”, and (c) Teacher Prompts and group-oriented contingencies: Verbal prompts with an index card where students could record their activity to earn bonus points as part of a team challenge. Graphically plotted pedometer data depicting data paths, variability, and trends within and across three conditions showed that students were more active outside of school only when the contingent reinforcement (c) was in place. This suggests that using prompts and group-oriented contingencies within Sport Education appears to be an effective and authentic context for promoting independent (i.e., free play) out-of-school time physical activity.

scholarly journals Low Levels of after School-Hours Social Interaction and Physical Activity of 5-7 Year Olds

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
Anita Bundy ◽  
Lina Engelen ◽  
Geraldine Naughton ◽  
Shirley Wyver
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
After School ◽  
Low Levels

An Exploration of Children’s Perceptions and Enjoyment of School-Based Physical Activity and Physical Education

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maura Coulter ◽  
Catherine B. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Free Play ◽  
After School ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Play Activity ◽  
School Based

Background:The promotion of physical activity among young children has become a universal challenge. Children spend large amounts of time in school, making it an attractive setting in which to promote positive health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to investigate school-based physical activity behavior and its determinants in young Irish children.Methods:Participants self-reported school-based free-play activity, commuting to school behavior, and levels of enjoyment of physical education and physical activity.Results:Data were collected from 605 children, mean age was 8.8 years (±2.2; range 5−14 years), 44% were female. Thirty-nine percent of children actively commuted to school, with 40% of males compared with 34.8% of females walking to school. Boys reported more physically active free-play activity (88.6% at break and 90.9% at lunch time) compared with girls (70.8% and 83.7% respectively). Physical education was a top 3 favorite subject for 78% of children and 50.7% reported they would prefer to take part in more active pastimes directly after school.Conclusions:Strategies for increasing active commuting are required. Boys and girls are more alike than unlike in their behaviors and attitudes. Teachers should capitalize on the fact that children’s favorite subject is physical education to promote physical activity.

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