Citizen Scientists Investigate School Playground Quality: Equity in Opportunities for Play, Learning, and Health at School

• In Event: Health and Well-Being in the School Setting: Multiple Perspectives on Supporting Students and Teachers

Abstract

Decades of research demonstrate that playgrounds are an important part of students’ learning, development, health and environmental knowledge. This community partnership used citizen science to create a detailed system-wide picture of schoolyard quality across Ontario, Canada using validated, standardized measures (the SPEEDY schoolyard audit tool) linked to demographic information. There was considerable variation in schoolyard quality, and despite comparable provincial funding, more affluent schools (and communities) had better playgrounds than poorer ones. The top-scoring Ontario public school had a physical activity suitability score of 49; the lowest score was 1. There is little accountability for these gaps, despite their importance to children’s health and families. There are also real opportunities for local and provincial advocacy based on this research.

Authors

• Kelly A. Gallagher-Mackay, Wilfrid Laurier University

• Christine Corso, University of Toronto

• Taylor Hill, Wilfrid Laurier University