There are a great number of research studies which support the idea that children’s learning and an early childhood institution’s environment are strongly connected. Past research studies have indicated that the environment’s aesthetic, flexibility, and safety characteristics have a positive correlation with children’s development levels and school readiness and as a result can positively impact their future learning. It has been observed that if the environment is lacking in a sufficient amount of stimuli, then the children’s development and learning are negatively affected. When considering the early childhood learning environment, the outdoor areas are as important as indoor areas. An important aspect of outdoor areas is that they offer children a space where they can act freely which in turn supports their holistic development. Outdoor playgrounds which have been designed to support children’s development can be considered a significant location and opportunity for improving children’s creativity and physical development. This study aimed to better determine the expectations and opinions of early childhood students who would be utilizing renovated playgrounds in the outdoor space of their school; Beytepe Kindergarten. In order to achieve this goal, interviews were conducted with the participating children and they were asked to draw their ideal playgrounds. An analysis of collected data (i.e., the children’s playground illustrations) was carried out through the content analysis method and during the analysis process an inductive approach was utilized.

Published in: Canada International Conference on Education, 2018

• Date of Conference: 25-28 June, 2018
• DOI: 10.2053/CICE.2018.0015
• Electronic ISBN: 978-1-908320-90-2
• Conference Location: University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada