Physical activity in light of affordances in outdoor environments: qualitative observation studies of 3–5 years olds in kindergarten

This article examines the characteristic of affordances of different outdoor environments, related to the influences of children’s physical activity levels. Qualitative observation studies in a Norwegian kindergarten were conducted of 3- to 5-year-olds into the natural environment and in the kindergarten’s outdoor area. An ecological approach was important from both an analytical and theoretical point of view, using concepts from Gibson’s (The ecological approach to visual perception. Houghton Mifflin Company, Bosten, 1979) theory of affordances. The concepts of affordances in an environment can explain children’s movement behaviour. The findings reveal that situations with high physical activity levels among the children are more often created in natural environments than in the kindergarten’s outdoor environment. Natural environments offer potential qualities that are a catalyst for physical activity. The study shows that certain characteristic of the physical outdoor environment are important for children’s opportunities and inspiration for physical active play. The findings also show that social possibilities and opportunities, human interactions, in the environment have the greatest influence on the duration and intensity of physically active play. The need for knowledge on physical and social opportunities in outdoor environments, educational practice and the content of outdoor time in kindergartens should be given greater attention.publishedVersio

Towards a socially adaptive digital playground

We are working towards a socially adaptive digital playground for children. To this end, we are looking into nonverbal synchrony and other social signals as a measure of social behaviour and into ways to alter game dynamics to trigger and inhibit certain social behaviours. Our first results indicate that we can indeed influence social behaviours in a digital playground by changing game dynamics. Furthermore, our first results show that we will be able to sense some of these social behaviours using only computer vision techniques. I propose an iterative method for working towards a socially adaptive digital playground

Children’s Rough-and-Tumble Play in a Supportive Early Childhood Education and Care Environment

While a growing body of evidence highlights the benefits of rough-and-tumble play (R&T) in young children, it remains one of the most challenging kinds of play to support in early childhood education and care environment (ECEC) institutions. The present study explores the occurrence and characteristics of R&T in indoor and outdoor environments in a Norwegian sociocultural context where children can freely choose what, where, and with whom to play. The data consist of 100 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for R&T. Qualitative analysis reveals that in a physically and culturally supportive environment for R&T, children aged 3–5 years perceive indoor spaces that afford physically active play to be more attractive for R&T than outdoor environments. The findings indicate gender differences related to R&T and how girls and boys use the physical environment in different ways. The quantitative findings are discussed within interactional affordances theory and show that children practise perceptual, motor, and social skills to successfully engage in R&T. Enhanced knowledge of children’s skill acquisition in R&T can support practitioners in developing pedagogical skills to facilitate challenging and safe environments for appropriate indoor R&T for both girls and boys.publishedVersio

The Prevalence of Risky Play in Young Children’s Indoor and Outdoor Free Play

Research on children’s risky play and young children’s risk taking is a relatively new research area that has drawn the attention of many researchers in the last decades. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, no earlier studies have measured the prevalence of risky play when children can freely choose what to play, with whom, and where. Most research on risky play has also exclusively focused on outdoor play. This study aims at examining the occurrence and characteristics of children’s risky play, indoors and outdoors, in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions. Children (N=80) were observed in twominute sequences during periods of the day when they were free to choose what to do. The data consists of 1878 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for the occurrence of several categories of risky play. Results revealed that risky play was registered in 10.3% of the total data material. The data is further analysed to explore distribution among diferent types of risky play, as well as diferences between gender, age and environment (indoors vs. outdoors).publishedVersio

"We Don't Allow Children to Climb Trees": How a Focus on Safety Affects Norwegian Children's Play in Early-Childhood Education and Care Settings

On one hand, we want to keep children as safe as possible; on the other, learning to take risks is a normal part of childhood and child development. In Norway, research has shown that early-childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners have, in the past, taken a permissive approach to children’s risk taking. In this article, the authors surveys ECEC managers to explore how the increasing focus on safety in Norwegian society affects ECEC programs. They find the previously more relaxed attitudes regarding risky play among children to be changing in such settings. They describe restrictions recently introduced into everyday program activities, and they discuss the implications both for ECEC pedagogy and for children’s play, learning, and development.acceptedVersio

Locus of control and its intergenerational implications for early childhood skill formation

We propose a model in which parents have a subjective belief about the impact of their investment on the early skill formation of their children. This subjective belief is determined in part by locus of control (LOC), i.e., the extent to which individuals believe that their actions can influence future outcomes. Using a unique British cohort survey, we show that maternal LOC measured during the 1st trimester strongly predicts early and late child cognitive and noncognitive outcomes. Further, we utilize the variation in maternal LOC to improve the specification typically used in the estimation of parental investment effects on child development

Physical activity level of kindergarten staff working with toddlers and older children in Norway

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that one-third of Norwegian adults satisfy national health recommendations for physical activity, but little knowledge exists regarding activity levels in different occupations. OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the level at which kindergarten staff fulfil these health recommendations, and examines differences in physical activity levels of staff working mainly with toddlers (1–3 years) and older children (4–6 years). The study also investigates physical activity level during working time and leisure time. METHODS: Physical activity levels among 43 kindergarten staff members were measured utilizing accelerometers and questionnaires. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that 86% of kindergarten staff satisfy the health recommendations for physical activity. Moreover, kindergarten staff working with older children were significantly more physically active than staff working with toddlers. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity level during working time was found to be of major significance for fulfilling the health recommendations among kindergarten staff working with toddlers.publishedVersionPaid Open Acces

Activity Videos Effect on Four-, Five- and Six-Year-Olds’ Physical Activity Level in Preschool

Physical activity provides positive health benefits for preschool children. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of physical activity videos on the physical activity levels of children aged 4, 5 and 6 in preschool time. Two preschools served as a control group, and four served as intervention groups. The study included 110 children aged 4–6 years, all wearing accelerometers in the preschool for two weeks. In the first week, both the control group and the intervention group carried out their ordinary activities. In the second week, the four preschools in the intervention group used the activity videos, while the control group continued their ordinary activities. The main finding is that the activity videos only increased the 4 year olds’ physical activity in MVPA (moderate to vigorous physical activity) from pre-test to post-test. Furthermore, the results show significantly increased CPM (counts per minute) in preschool among 4- and 6-year-old children in the interventions group from pre-test to post-test. However, the children in the control group did not have a significant change in their CPM or MVPA from pre-test to post-test. Our findings indicate that the use of activity videos may increase preschool children’s activity levels at preschool, but that the videos need to be developed differently depending on the age of the children.publishedVersio

Gender matters: male and female ECEC practitioners’ perceptions and practices regarding children's rough-and-tumble play (R&T)

The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) practitioners’ perceptions and practices regarding children’s indoor and outdoor rough-and-tumble play (R&T) from a gender perspective. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used together in a mixed method design to provide quantitative data of patterns among a larger group of ECEC practitioners, as well as to gather greater in-depth insights on ECEC practitioners’ attitudes, thoughts and actions concerning children’s R&T. The results of the study showed that ECEC practitioners acknowledged both positive and negative sides of R&T; that they allowed this kind of play significantly more in outdoor environments than indoors, and that R&T often produced uncertainty and a need for control by the practitioners. The most surprising result from the questionnaire was the lack of gender differences in allowing children’s R&T in ECEC. However, the interviews revealed that although a basic difference in attitudes between male and female practitioners originally existed, female practitioners changed their attitudes and practices towards R&T as a result of gaining more knowledge and experience of this play through their male colleagues. In addition, a high consciousness of trying to adopt common understandings, rules and practices regarding R&T also contributed to a change of attitudes.acceptedVersio