International Journal of Progressive Education
ISSN (Print): 2834-7919 - ISSN (Online): 1554-5210

Research article    |    Open Access
International Journal of Progressive Education 2022, Vol. 18(4) 120-131

Parents' Metaphors About Outdoor Play

Hi̇lal İlknur Tunçeli̇ & Eslem Gözde Şenöz

pp. 120 - 131   |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2022.459.9

Publish Date: August 01, 2022  |   Single/Total View: 182/462   |   Single/Total Download: 249/721

PDF Download

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the parents' perceptions about outdoor play through metaphors. The study is conducted with 107 parents, 96 mothers and 11 fathers, with children between 0-72 months. The data has been collected via an online questionnaire. Parents completed the prompt 'Playing outside is like… Because ...' to indicate their conceptualization of outdoor play. In addition, interviews were conducted to obtain more in-depth data about parent's views about outdoor play. Content analysis technique is used in the evaluation of the data obtained in the research and eight conceptual categories were identified. The metaphors developed about outdoor play are, in order of frequency, freedom, healing, need, fun, instruction, happiness, peace, and exploration. As a result, it has been found that parents of preschoolers have positive perceptions towards outdoor play. Also, parents are aware of the benefit of outdoor play for the child, perceive it positively, but limit their children's outdoor play opportunities, or try to structure it especially because of their concerns about security and health. Thus, it will be possible for children to benefit from outdoor play at the maximum level by eliminating the difficulties faced by parents and increasing their awareness about outdoor play.

Keywords: Early Childhood; Play; Outdoor Play; Parents; Metaphor

How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
Tunceli̇, H.I., & Senoz, E.G. (2022). Parents’ Metaphors About Outdoor Play. International Journal of Progressive Education, 18(4), 120-131. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2022.459.9

Harvard
Tunceli̇, H. and Senoz, E. (2022). Parents’ Metaphors About Outdoor Play. International Journal of Progressive Education, 18(4), pp. 120-131.

Chicago 16th edition
Tunceli̇, Hi̇lal Ilknur and Eslem Gozde Senoz (2022). "Parents’ Metaphors About Outdoor Play". International Journal of Progressive Education 18 (4):120-131. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2022.459.9

References
  1. Aarts, M. J., Wendel-Vos, W., van Oers, H. A., Van de Goor, I. A., & Schuit, A. J. (2010). Environmental determinants of outdoor play in children: a large-scale cross-sectional study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 39(3), 212-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.05.008 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  2. Allin, L., West, A., & Curry, S. (2014). Mother and child constructions of risk in outdoor play. Leisure Studies, 33(6), 644-657. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2013.841746. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  3. Bengtsson, M. (2016). How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis. NursingPlus Open, 2, 8-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  4. Bento, G., & Dias, G. (2017). The importance of outdoor play for young children's healthy development. Porto Biomedical Journal, 2(5), 157-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbj.2017.03.003. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  5. Bilton, H. (2010). Outdoor learning in the early years: Management and innovation. Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  6. Brussoni, M., Olsen, L. L., Pike, I., & Sleet, D. A. (2012). Risky play and children’s safety: Balancing priorities for optimal child development. International Journal of Environmental Research And Public Health, 9(9), 3134-3148. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph9093134. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  7. Burdette, H. L., & Whitaker, R. C. (2005). Resurrecting free play in young children: looking beyond fitness and fatness to attention, affiliation, and affect. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 159(1), 46-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2014.997844. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  8. Casey, T. (2007). Environments for outdoor play: a practical guide to making space for children. Sage. [Google Scholar]
  9. Cevher-Kalburan, N. (2014). Young children’s opportunities and parent’s opinions regarding outdoor play. Journal of Studies on Social Policy, 32, 113-135. https://doi.org/10.21560/spcd.21616. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  10. Clements, R. (2004). An investigation of the status of outdoor play. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 5(1), 68-80. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2004.5.1.10 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  11. DeBord, K., Hestenes, L., Moore, R., Cosco, N., & McGinnis, J. (2005). Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale (POEMS). Winston-Salem, NC: Kaplan Early Learning Company. [Google Scholar]
  12. Nyström, C. D., Barnes, J. D., Blanchette, S., Faulkner, G., Leduc, G., Riazi, N. A., & Larouche, R. (2019). Relationships between area-level socioeconomic status and urbanization with active transportation, independent mobility, outdoor time, and physical activity among Canadian children. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7420-y [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  13. Dowdell, K., Gray, T., & Malone, K. (2011). Nature and its influence on children’s outdoor play. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 15(2), 24-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03400925 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  14. Dwyer, G. M., Baur, L. A., & Hardy, L. L. (2009). The challenge of understanding and assessing physical activity in preschool-age children: Thinking beyond the framework of intensity, duration and frequency of activity. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 12(5), 534-536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2008.10.005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  15. Dyment, J. E., & Bell, A. C. (2008). Grounds for movement: green school grounds as sites for promoting physical activity. Health Education Research, 23(6), 952-962. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cym059 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  16. Elo, S., & Kyngäs, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(1), 107-115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  17. Ernst, J. (2018). Exploring Young Children's and Parents' Preferences for Outdoor Play Settings and Affinity toward Nature. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 5(2), 30-45. [Google Scholar]
  18. Özgün E. (2003). Outdoor design criteria for preschool education centers [Unpublished master thesis].Ankara University. [Google Scholar]
  19. Goodyear‐Smith, F. A., & Laidlaw, T. M. (1999). Aggressive acts and assaults in intimate relationships: Towards an understanding of the literature. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 17(3), 285-304. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0798. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  20. Gray, C., Gibbons, R., Larouche, R., Sandseter, E. B. H., Bienenstock, A., Brussoni, M., ... & Tremblay, M. S. (2015). What is the relationship between outdoor time and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and physical fitness in children? A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), 6455-6474. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120606455. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  21. Green, G., Riley, C., & Hargrove, B. (2012). Physical Activity and Childhood Obesity: Strategies and Solutions for Schools and Parents. Education, 132(4). [Google Scholar]
  22. Greenfield, C. (2004). Can run, play on bikes, jump the zoom slide, and play on the swings’: Exploring the value of outdoor play. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 29(2), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1177/183693910402900202. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  23. Hinkley, T., Brown, H., Carson, V., & Teychenne, M. (2018). Cross sectional associations of screen time and outdoor play with social skills in preschool children. PloS one, 13(4), e0193700. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193700. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  24. International Play Association [IPA] (2014). https://ipaworld.org/childs-right-to-play/the-childs-right-to-play/. [Google Scholar]
  25. İvrendi, A., Cevher-Kalburan, N., Sandseter, E. B. H., Storli, R., & Sivertsen, A. H. (2019). Children, mothers, and preschool teachers’ perceptions of play: Findings from Turkey and Norway. Journal of Early Childhood Studies, 3(1), 32-54. https://doi.org/10.24130/eccd-jecs.1967201931119 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  26. Kahn Jr, P. H., & Weiss, T. (2017). The importance of children interacting with big nature. Children, Youth and Environments, 27(2), 7-24. https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.27.2.0007. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  27. Kaplan, R., Kaplan, S., & Brown, T. (1989). Environmental preference: A comparison of four domains of predictors. Environment and Behavior, 21(5), 509-530. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916589215001. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  28. Kernan, M., & Devine, D. (2010). Being confined within? Constructions of the good childhood and outdoor play in early childhood education and care settings in Ireland. Children & Society, 24(5), 371-385. [Google Scholar]
  29. Kimbro, R. T., Brooks-Gunn, J., & McLanahan, S. (2011). Young children in urban areas: links among neighborhood characteristics, weight status, outdoor play, and television watching. Social Science & Medicine, 72(5), 668-676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.12.015 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  30. Lester, S., & Wendy R.(2008).Play for a change: Play, policy, and practice: A review of contemporary perspectives. London: National Children's Bureau. Little, H. (2015). Mothers’ beliefs about risk and risk-taking in children’s outdoor play. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning, 15(1), 24-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2013.842178. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  31. Maynard, T., & Waters, J. (2007). Learning in the outdoor environment: a missed opportunity?. Early Years, 27(3), 255-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575140701594400. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  32. Mayring, P. (2014). Qualitative content analysis: theoretical foundation, basic procedures and software solution. https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/bitstream/handle/document/39517/ssoar-2014-mayring-Qualitative_content_analysis_theoretical_foundation.pdf. [Google Scholar]
  33. McArdle, M. A., Finucane, O. M., Connaughton, R. M., McMorrow, A. M., & Roche, H. M. (2013). Mechanisms of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance: insights into the emerging role of nutritional strategies. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 4, 52. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2013.00052. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  34. McBride, D. L. (2012). Children and outdoor play. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 27(4), 421-422. [Google Scholar]
  35. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage. [Google Scholar]
  36. Moore, R. C., & Wong, H. H. (1997). Natural Learning: The Life of an Environmental Schoolyard. Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature's Way of Teaching. MIG Communications. [Google Scholar]
  37. Oxford, R. L., Tomlinson, S., Barcelos, A., Harrington, C., Lavine, R. Z., Saleh, A., & Longhini, A. (1998). Clashing metaphors about classroom teachers: Toward a systematic typology for the language teaching field. System, 26(1), 3-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0346-251X(97)00071-7. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  38. Ozdemir, A., & Yilmaz, O. (2008). Assessment of outdoor school environments and physical activity in Ankara's primary schools. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(3), 287-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.02.004. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  39. Price, A. (2019). Using outdoor learning to augment social and emotional learning (SEL) skills in young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 19(4), 315-328. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2018.1548362. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  40. Prince, H., Allin, L., Sandseter, E. B. H., & Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E. (2013). Outdoor play and learning in early childhood from different cultural perspectives. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning, 13(3), 183-188. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2013.813745. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  41. Rakison, D. H. (2005). Infant Perception and Cognition: An Evolutionary Perspective on Early Learning. In B. J. Ellis & D. F. Bjorklund (Eds.), Origins of the social mind: Evolutionary psychology and child development (pp. 317–353). Guilford Press. [Google Scholar]
  42. Rivkin, M. (1995). The great outdoors: Restoring children's right to play outside. National Association for the Education of Young Children. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service. [Google Scholar]
  43. Rivkin,M. (2000). Outdoor experiences for young children. Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Appalachia Educational Laboratory.Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED448013.pdf. [Google Scholar]
  44. Sandseter, E. B. H. (2009). Affordances for risky play in preschool: The importance of features in the play environment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(5), 439-446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0307-2. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  45. Schmicking, D. & Shaun G. (2010). Handbook of phenomenology and cognitive science. Springer. [Google Scholar]
  46. Singer, D. & Jerome S. (2000). Make-believe: Games and activities for imaginative play. Magination Press. [Google Scholar]
  47. Spencer, C., & Woolley, H. (2000). Children and the city: a summary of recent environmental psychology research. Child: Care, Health and Development, 26(3), 181-198. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2214.2000.00125.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  48. Stephenson, A. (2002). Opening up the outdoors: Exploring the relationship between the indoor and outdoor environments of a centre. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 10(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13502930285208821. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  49. Tandon, P. S., Zhou, C., Lozano, P., & Christakis, D. A. (2011). Preschoolers’ total daily screen time at home and by type of child care. The Journal of Pediatrics, 158(2), 297-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.08.005. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  50. Faber Taylor, A., & Kuo, F. E. (2009). Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12(5), 402-409. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054708323000. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  51. Tremblay, M. S., Gray, C., Babcock, S., Barnes, J., Bradstreet, C. C., Carr, D., ... & Brussoni, M. (2015). Position statement on active outdoor play. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), 6475-6505. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120606475. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  52. UNICEF (1989). Children on the Front Line: The Impact of Apartheid, Destabilization and Warfare on Children in Southern and South Africa: 1989 Update with New Section on Namibia. United Nations Children's Fund. [Google Scholar]
  53. Veitch, J., Bagley, S., Ball, K., & Salmon, J. (2006). Where do children usually play? A qualitative study of parents’ perceptions of influences on children's active free-play. Health & Place, 12(4), 383-393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2005.02.009. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  54. Waters, J., & Rekers, A. (2019). Young Children’s Outdoor Play-Based Learning. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. http://www.childencyclopedia.com/sites/default/files/dossiers-complets/en/outdoor-play.pdf. [Google Scholar]
  55. Wells, N. M., & Evans, G. W. (2003). Nearby nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior, 35(3), 311-330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503035003001. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  56. Wijtzes, A. I., Jansen, W., Bouthoorn, S. H., Pot, N., Hofman, A., Jaddoe, V. W., & Raat, H. (2014). Social inequalities in young children’s sports participation and outdoor play. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-014-0155-3. [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  57. Yalçın, F. (2015). A crosscultural study on outdoor play: Parent and teacher perspectives [master's thesis]. The Graduate School of Social Sciences: Middle East Technical University. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/. [Google Scholar]
Meta
Vol. 18 (4)
Download
Metric
History
Related

Volume 18 Issue 4

August 2022

All Manuscript

International Journal of Progressive Education

Copyright © 2025 International Journal of Progressive Education.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. CC BY
All elements of this website were created using the BOQ™ - Intelligent Webverse System.