Do children create standardized playgrounds? A study on the gap-crossing affordances of jumping stones. (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jongeneel, Douwe; Withagen, Rob; Zaal, Frank T.J.M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental psychology. Volume 44(2015)
• Page Start: 45
• Page End: 52
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Affordances -- Children -- Jumping stones -- Playgrounds -- Standardization; Environmental psychology -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.09.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-4944

Abstract

Abstract: One point of critique on playgrounds is their omnipresent standardization—the distances between, for example, jumping stones or the ropes in a climbing net tend to be equal. Although current psychological literature suggests that nonstandardized playgrounds are beneficial for the children's motor development, standardized playgrounds may have a greater appeal to children because of their symmetry. The present study examined whether children opt for standardization if they construct their own playground. A group of children, who varied in their stepping and jumping capabilities, were provided with six identical jumping stones. Each child was asked to create her own jumping stone playground and play in it. The vast majority of the children created a configuration with varying gap widths. Moreover, the maximum and mean gap widths in the playgrounds were scaled to the (perceived) action capabilities of the children. This suggests that standardized playgrounds are indeed undesirable. Highlights: Standardized playgrounds have been criticized. Do children create playgrounds with equal distances between jumping stones? Children were the architects of their own jumping stone playgrounds. The vast majority of children created a configuration with varying distances. The mean gap widths were scaled to the children's estimated maximum jumping distances.