The Outdoor Play Inventory: A Time-Sampling Observation Protocol for Assessing Children’s Play in Outdoor Playgrounds

• In Event: Social and Academic Adjustment in Early Childhood

Abstract

There is an increased interest in the relationship between children’s outdoor play and their development. While a link between outdoor play and key developmental milestones has been established, many researchers assess only the level of children’s activity, and typically derive data from self-reports and in units of frequency or duration. There is a lack of clarity as to what children are actually doing and how these activities promote physical, cognitive, and social development. This paper describes a new time-sampling protocol – the Outdoor Play Inventory – as a new approach and method to systematically examine children’s play in outdoor spaces. This paper describes the structure and development of this protocol and reports on a pilot study to illustrate its use.

Authors

• Clement Chau, Tufts University

• Iris Chin Ponte, Tufts University

• Lisa P. Kuh, University of New Hampshire