Children’s Rough-and-Tumble Play in a Supportive Early Childhood Education and Care Environment

Summary & key facts

Researchers studied rough-and-tumble play (R&T) in a Norwegian early childhood setting where children aged 3–5 could choose what, where, and with whom to play. They analyzed 100 randomly recorded two-minute videos and coded play second-by-second. In this supportive setting, children used indoor spaces that allowed active play more than outdoor areas for R&T. The study also found clear gender differences in how girls and boys used the physical environment, and it showed children practicing perceptual, motor, and social skills during R&T.

Key facts:

• The study used 100 randomly recorded videos, each two minutes long, and coded R&T behavior second-by-second.
• Participants were children aged 3–5 years in a Norwegian early childhood education and care setting where children could freely choose activities and playmates.
• In this supportive ECEC environment, children showed a preference for indoor spaces that allowed physically active play when engaging in rough-and-tumble play, compared with outdoor spaces.
• Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used. Quantitative findings were discussed using interactional affordances theory.
• The study reports gender differences in R&T: girls and boys used the physical environment in different ways during rough-and-tumble play.
• Researchers concluded that during R&T children exercised perceptual, motor, and social skills, which has implications for how practitioners design and support safe indoor R&T environments for both girls and boys.

Abstract

While a growing body of evidence highlights the benefits of rough-and-tumble play (R&T) in young children, it remains one of the most challenging kinds of play to support in early childhood education and care environment (ECEC) institutions. The present study explores the occurrence and characteristics of R&T in indoor and outdoor environments in a Norwegian sociocultural context where children can freely choose what, where, and with whom to play. The data consist of 100 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for R&T. Qualitative analysis reveals that in a physically and culturally supportive environment for R&T, children aged 3-5 years perceive indoor spaces that afford physically active play to be more attractive for R&T than outdoor environments. The findings indicate gender differences related to R&T and how girls and boys use the physical environment in different ways. The quantitative findings are discussed within interactional affordances theory and show that children practise perceptual, motor, and social skills to successfully engage in R&T. Enhanced knowledge of children's skill acquisition in R&T can support practitioners in developing pedagogical skills to facilitate challenging and safe environments for appropriate indoor R&T for both girls and boys.

Topics

Early Childhood Education and Development Educational Environments and Student Outcomes Urban Green Space and Health

Categories

Education Social Sciences

Tags

Affordance Anthropology Archaeology Cognitive psychology Context (archaeology) Developmental psychology Early childhood Early childhood education Geography Learning environment Linguistics Neuroscience Norwegian Pedagogy Perception Philosophy Psychology Social environment Social science Sociocultural evolution Sociology