Educators' perceptions about outdoor play affordances for solitary, parallel, and cooperative play

Abstract

Grounded in the Theory of Affordances, this exploratory study examined the afforded behaviors of play in outdoor play environments. Although studies have extensively examined affordances for physical development, this study contributes to the lesser-published topic of designing spaces that foster socioemotional development in young children. A survey utilized heat map images and open-ended questions to collect qualitative data from 44 early childhood educators at campus children's centers. The data were analyzed using Strauss' three-step coding method, resulting in the confirmation of four of Kyttä's affordances for sociality and the proposal of additional affordances for solitary, parallel, and cooperative play.