'What Is Natural in Natural Playgrounds?': Nature, Sustainability and Environmental Education in Calgary's Natural Playgrounds
Saved in:
| Title: | 'What Is Natural in Natural Playgrounds?': Nature, Sustainability and Environmental Education in Calgary's Natural Playgrounds |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Miho Trudeau |
| Source: | Environmental Education Research. 2025 31(1):74-91. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Playgrounds, Environmental Education, Sustainable Development, Elementary School Students, Design Requirements, Structural Elements (Construction), Educational Environment, Environmental Influences, Environmental Interpretation |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada (Calgary) |
| DOI: | 10.1080/13504622.2024.2374326 |
| ISSN: | 1350-4622 1469-5871 |
| Abstract: | Although natural playgrounds have originated from an intention to provide greater access to nature for children, these play spaces offer a designed and regulated space that diverges from other natural contexts. This study investigated the perceived and sociomaterially constructed role of nature in natural playgrounds by examining what people (i.e. playground designers and users) perceive and experience as natural within five natural playground sites in Calgary, Alberta. Drawing from interviews with playground developers, caregivers, and children that use the natural playground sites, this study describes what features are perceived as natural within the playgrounds, what shapes these forms of nature, and how these forms of nature may contribute to sustainable learning environments. This study found several opportunities and challenges surrounding sustainability, including the use of sustainable design within sites, the tension of sharing sites with non-human users, and the potential for further environmental education embedded within site design. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1455129 |
| Database: | ERIC |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwHsySCERAXqg8_udZzdRP-DAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDNdPHJxDz8dnV1PxVgIBEICBm9NyUWH0Q5lFOHV6sfq0DwHm8MN8NqGNkuJZBdnpD42lz5g2fzP126xrDz4KMslVV2rJ1tXjQIG1tCo3uUikE7XtQXtIPnHpeF-1ATHOHBeXflXcVj0SP1_jXQQDmw-u50nS3hEWyXF38eD0KZFSmGdf48oiTbYcA0y1Havco_2PpgZXoJ_GTC1Z69fIThRF4F5EQbURadSvueTP Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0181862533;eed01jan.25;2024Dec27.04:34;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0181862533-1">'What is natural in natural playgrounds?': nature, sustainability and environmental education in Calgary's natural playgrounds </title> <p>Although natural playgrounds have originated from an intention to provide greater access to nature for children, these play spaces offer a designed and regulated space that diverges from other natural contexts. This study investigated the perceived and sociomaterially constructed role of nature in natural playgrounds by examining what people (i.e. playground designers and users) perceive and experience as natural within five natural playground sites in Calgary, Alberta. Drawing from interviews with playground developers, caregivers, and children that use the natural playground sites, this study describes what features are perceived as natural within the playgrounds, what shapes these forms of nature, and how these forms of nature may contribute to sustainable learning environments. This study found several opportunities and challenges surrounding sustainability, including the use of sustainable design within sites, the tension of sharing sites with non-human users, and the potential for further environmental education embedded within site design.</p> <p>Keywords: Natural playground; nature; sustainability; environmental education; political ecology</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-2">Introduction</hd> <p>Contemporary socioenvironmental contexts have dramatically shifted children's access to and experiences of nature. Factors that have diminished children's daily contact with natural environments include increased traffic and built environment development such as sub/urbanization, the curtailment of children's independent mobility, and the subsequent replacement of free outdoor play with forms of electronic media (Clements [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref1">17</reflink>]; Hillman and Adams [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref2">41</reflink>]; Karsten [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref3">44</reflink>]). As children's contact with natural spaces has declined, some researchers have speculated that children's preferences for and conceptualizations of nature have consequently shifted during the last few decades. Recent studies suggest that children's preferred play spaces are playgrounds (spaces within the built environment) as opposed to more natural contexts (Ernst [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref4">27</reflink>]; van Heel et al. [<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref5">72</reflink>]). Comparing their findings with earlier research from the 1970s, which found that children preferred more wild spaces, van Heel et al. ([<reflink idref="bib72" id="ref6">72</reflink>]) postulate that changing preferences may correspond to children's decreased access to natural spaces. Scholars have also explored children's definitions and perceptions surrounding nature, which has led to diverse interpretations of nature influenced by individual sociocultural and environmental contexts (Aaron and Witt [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref7">1</reflink>]; Tillmann et al. [<reflink idref="bib69" id="ref8">69</reflink>], Wals [<reflink idref="bib74" id="ref9">74</reflink>]; Wilhelm and Schneider [<reflink idref="bib78" id="ref10">78</reflink>]), including possible analyses that urban children's understandings have been impacted by a 'de-naturing' of children's environments (Aaron and Witt [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref11">1</reflink>], p. 159).</p> <p>The negative implications of children's declining access to nature are highlighted by a growing list of psychosocial and physical benefits from exposure to natural environments (e.g. Chawla [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref12">14</reflink>]; Gill [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref13">35</reflink>]). These positive outcomes include cognitive and psychological impacts (Amicone et al. [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref14">3</reflink>]; Chawla et al. [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref15">15</reflink>]; Prins et al. [<reflink idref="bib60" id="ref16">60</reflink>]; Taylor and Kuo [<reflink idref="bib65" id="ref17">65</reflink>]; Taylor et al. [<reflink idref="bib67" id="ref18">67</reflink>]; van den Berg and van den Berg [<reflink idref="bib71" id="ref19">71</reflink>]; Wells and Evans [<reflink idref="bib75" id="ref20">75</reflink>]); physical health benefits such as increased physical activity and motor abilities (Fjørtoft [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref21">30</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref22">31</reflink>]; McCurdy et al. [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref23">52</reflink>]; Raney et al. [<reflink idref="bib61" id="ref24">61</reflink>]), and opportunities for increased environmental education and consciousness (Chawla [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref25">13</reflink>]; Ewert et al. [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref26">28</reflink>]; Wells and Lekies [<reflink idref="bib76" id="ref27">76</reflink>]). Given current socioecological crises, this last benefit that suggests increases in environmental awareness and behaviours from exposure to natural environments in childhood (Chawla [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref28">13</reflink>]; Well and Lekies 2006), cannot be overemphasized.</p> <p>Diverse studies have illustrated how playgrounds and play spaces with increased natural materials and features can raise environmental consciousness and support environmental education. For example, Malone and Tranter's ([<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref29">50</reflink>]a, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref30">49</reflink>]b) study of five primary school grounds in Australia found stronger environmental educational outcomes in schools that provided more access to natural contexts. Similarly, Dyment's ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref31">21</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref32">22</reflink>]) study of green school grounds in Canada demonstrated increases in students' environmental consciousness and stewardship from school ground greening projects. Findings that illustrate or suggest increased environmental education from children's experiences in play spaces are frequently associated with unstructured exploration of natural contexts, such as local plants, animals, and natural elements (e.g. dirt, water) (Stanley [<reflink idref="bib63" id="ref33">63</reflink>]; Thomson [<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref34">68</reflink>]; Wight et al., [<reflink idref="bib77" id="ref35">77</reflink>]). As noted in Wight et al.'s (2016) study examining environmentally responsible behaviours within four preschools in the midwestern United States, children's unstructured play and interactions in natural outdoor play spaces can provide 'a wider array of opportunities to develop positive inclinations toward nature' (p. 532); evident, for example, through recorded observations of children's behaviours of care for non-human nature in these environments. At the same time, the mediation of children's behaviours or activities within play spaces has been shown to impact the potential for environmental learning (Thomson [<reflink idref="bib68" id="ref36">68</reflink>]). This is further supported by research that shows increased opportunities for environmental education with student engagement within the design and planning of nature-based children's spaces (Dyment [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref37">23</reflink>]).</p> <p>Increased awareness of the benefits surrounding and need for children's access to nature have led educators, designers, parents, non-profit organizations, and other child advocates to promote the development of natural play spaces, such as natural playgrounds (Carr and Luken [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref38">11</reflink>]; Frost [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref39">33</reflink>]; Moore [<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref40">56</reflink>]). Natural playgrounds are spaces that intentionally integrate natural features, such as plantings, into the playground setting (Cloward Drown and Christensen [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref41">18</reflink>]). The variety of different play spaces that are categorized as natural playgrounds attests to the difficulty in finding a uniform description beyond how they are characterized within a specific context; for example, the play spaces entitled 'natural playgrounds' or those that represent spaces for natural play, differ dramatically within studies from North America (e.g. Cloward Drown and Christensen [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref42">18</reflink>]; Coe et al. [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref43">19</reflink>]) in comparison to those from Europe (e.g. Fjørtoft and Sageie [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref44">29</reflink>]; Verstrate and Karsten [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref45">73</reflink>]).</p> <p>Verstrate and Karsten's ([<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref46">73</reflink>]) study of natural playgrounds in the Netherlands illustrates the local sociomaterial context inherent to defining natural playgrounds. In the last 20 years, 'nature playgrounds' have quickly gained popularity in the Netherlands and have resulted in a diversity of spaces. Verstate and Karsten ([<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref47">73</reflink>]) found that water was 'included in every nature playground: from creeks, to pump systems or just muddy banks' (p. 7). Furthermore, and certainly as a facilitating factor towards the inclusion of water features within a playground, nature playgrounds in the Netherlands are considered natural spaces first before playgrounds, which allows these spaces the ability to circumvent more rigorous safety regulations. Both the material (e.g. water within the Dutch landscape) and the social contexts of the Netherlands engenders a unique type of natural playground.</p> <p>Although natural playgrounds have emerged from a growing trend to bring contemporary children back to nature, natural playgrounds offer a designed and regulated space that diverges from a more untouched wilderness conception of nature (Verstrate and Karsten [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref48">73</reflink>]). This controlled, regulated, and human-produced expression of nature has been elsewhere explored within the production of green spaces; for example, Gandy ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref49">34</reflink>]) describes how New York city's Central Park is not nature preserved, but an example of '<emph>seeming</emph> Nature' (p. 110), produced as a vision of wilderness nature that was gaining popularity in the nineteenth century. An examination of the perceived role of nature within natural playgrounds could yield insightful understanding of how natural playgrounds are constructed and experienced as socioenvironmental spaces (Verstrate and Karsten [<reflink idref="bib73" id="ref50">73</reflink>]).</p> <p>This research explores the perceived and sociomaterially constructed role of nature in natural playgrounds by examining what people (e.g. playground designers and users) perceive as natural within natural playgrounds. With the increasing recognition that nature should be brought into children's environments—perhaps especially in preferential play spaces such playgrounds—this research describes what kind of features are perceived as natural within the playgrounds, what shapes these forms of nature, and how these forms of nature may contribute to sustainable learning environments.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-3">Conceptions of nature</hd> <p>Nature and natural environments have shifted, both materially and conceptually, with global environmental changes such as climate change and the biodiversity crisis. A UN report on 'the decline of nature' documents unprecedented rates of diminishment, including the threat of extinction for approximately one million species and changing land-use patterns that show a doubling of urban expansion within the last three decades and one-third of the terrestrial surface currently being used for agricultural purposes (United Nations [<reflink idref="bib70" id="ref51">70</reflink>]). Nature is rapidly being altered through human influence, and the scope of these environmental changes is evidenced by the proposal of a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene, named for the role humans have played in these dramatic global transformations (Lewis and Maslin [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref52">46</reflink>]).</p> <p>In response to these environmental and material changes, conceptualizations of nature have also shifted. Whereas the modernist concept of nature has been defined as separate from humans, often imbued with romanticized perceptions of untouched wilderness, the extent and realities of human environmental impacts have illustrated the impossibility of an untouched natural context, or as some have declared 'the end of nature' (McKibben [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref53">53</reflink>]). The need for understanding new human-nature relations within current material and social realities have led to diverse reconceptualizations of nature; for example, beyond Cartesian dualities within political ecology (Kaika [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref54">43</reflink>]).</p> <p>Perhaps most notably exemplified by David Harvey's ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref55">37</reflink>]) statement that 'there is nothing <emph>unnatural</emph> about New York city' (p. 186), urban political ecology recognizes cities as produced ecosystems where people are active agents that transform their natural environments and adapt to the environments that they are co-constructing—much like any other organism within an ecosystem (Heynen et al. [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref56">40</reflink>]). Humans, and human settlements such as New York City, also form a part of nature. Although political ecology challenges romanticized visions of nature and critiques the environmental conservation mentality where people are envisioned as stewards of the land, it does not advocate apathy towards environmental issues (Robbins [<reflink idref="bib62" id="ref57">62</reflink>]). Human intervention is less to do with preserving 'the last vestiges of the pristine', and more about 'building critical perspectives that focus attention on how social natures are transformed, by which actors, for whose benefit, and with what social and ecological consequences' (Braun and Castree [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref58">9</reflink>], p. 3).</p> <p>In addition to urban political ecology, this study is informed by the complex conceptualizations of nature as both socially and materially constructed, as conceived by new materialisms and associated theorists such as Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, and Karen Barad. Latour ([<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref59">45</reflink>]) exemplifies the entangled social, discursive, and physical elements of reality through the consideration of complex phenomena such as the pollution of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), where the range of events encompass chemical reactions, consumer goods, political advocacy, and government regulations all within one environmental issue; how can these types of situations be parsed into purely the social or the technological or the ethical, or so on? Latour's ([<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref60">45</reflink>]) descriptions of hybrids and networks, which are 'simultaneously real, like nature, narrated, like discourse, and collective, like society' (p. 6), are illuminated by the constant confrontation of similarly complex contemporary sociopolitical, economic, environmental, and technological issues. Extending the metaphor of hybrid, Donna Haraway's ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref61">36</reflink>]) metaphorical cyborg, 'a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creation of fiction' (p. 149), and 'a condensed image of both imagination and material reality' (p. 150), breaks down the dualistic conceptual categorization of binaries such as nature/culture. Further emphasizing the indivisibility of complex phenomena, Karen Barad's ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref62">5</reflink>]) emphasis on the concept of intra-action emphasizes a conceptual shift from independent entities interacting towards a recognition that all phenomena are produced through the intra-actions of entities—material, human, and otherwise.</p> <p>Recently, environmental education and child studies scholarship has similarly critiqued proponents of the 'connection with nature' movement, claiming that they perpetuate simplistic and romanticized narratives of nature (Bellino and Adams [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref63">7</reflink>]; Fletcher [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref64">32</reflink>]; Malone [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref65">51</reflink>]). In response, new conceptualizations of nature in relation to children, such as scholarship employing theoretical concepts from new materialisms, have proliferated (Änggård [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref66">4</reflink>]; Horton and Kraftl [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref67">42</reflink>]; Mereweather [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref68">54</reflink>]). For example, Änggård's ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref69">4</reflink>]) study of children's outdoor nature play within schoolyards and natural environments at two Swedish schools utilized Barad's concept of intra-action and material agency to analyze children's interactions and entanglements with 'all kinds of human and nonhuman agents' (p. 87). A new materialist lens may also lend critical consideration to non-normative experiences of nature; in their study of children's local outdoor play within a London social-housing neighborhood, Horton and Kraftl ([<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref70">42</reflink>]) used a social-materialist lens to engage with children's narratives of everyday natures that were not only 'imaginative' and 'affective', but also 'noxious' and 'cruel' due to the realities of socioenvironmental factors such as environmental pollution and racial exclusion and discrimination (p. 929). As evidenced by these new materialist approaches to children's experiences in nature, new materialisms can provide ways to understand children's complex experiences in, and perspectives of, nature as both social and material.</p> <p>Furthermore, environmental education pedagogy often focuses on trying to change individual behaviours and attitudes rather than recognizing the social, political, and economic contexts that affect individuals (Henderson and Zarger [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref71">38</reflink>]). Disregarding greater contextual environments within environmental education may also involve an indifference to the current environmental contexts that children and youth are experiencing; as Bellino and Adams ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref72">7</reflink>]) note, 'social nature, as produced by and in the image of capitalism, is a more common reality for youth growing up in urban environments' than an idealized conception of nature as untouched wilderness (p. 274). Urban spaces, including natural green spaces such as parks and playgrounds, need to be considered within their greater social, political, and material urban contexts.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-4">Research context and design</hd> <p>Five natural playgrounds were selected as research sites for this study (see Figure 1).</p> <p>Figure 1.</p> <p>Overview of natural playgrounds.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p>Graph</p> <p>This research inquiry was part of a larger qualitative study into the experiences and perspectives on natural playgrounds in Calgary. The qualitative methodology for this study was informed by inductive and constant comparative data analysis and collection methods (Braun and Clarke [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref73">8</reflink>]; Charmaz [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref74">16</reflink>]). Research methods included semi-structured online and in-person walking/playing interviews, site and participant observations, participant drawings, and document review of municipal documents on playground development, design plans, and playground blog posts.</p> <p>Fifty-one people participated in this research, either through on-line or in-person interviews between the summer of 2020 and fall of 2021. The prolonged data collection stage and the research methods, including the selection of on-line or in-person interviews was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to more on-line interviews than initially planned. Participants included 7 adults involved in the development of sites (e.g. designers), 23 adult playground users (e.g. caregivers), and 19 child playground users. Written consent of or on behalf of all research participants was given via a signed consent form. In the case of child participants, I sought not only guardian consent, but also oral assent from child participants ensuring that they were knowledgeable about the research objectives, my role as researcher, and their role as participants prior to asking if they would like to participate. These data collection processes were conducted with ethical clearance (REB20-0705) from the University of Calgary's Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-5">Findings</hd> <p>To determine the sociomaterially constructed role of nature within the research sites, participants were asked what they perceived as nature within the natural playgrounds. The following findings also describe how nature was shaped within sites and the relationship between natural playgrounds and sustainability.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-6">Natural playground spectrum</hd> <p>Many participants described how the natural playground sites provided some access to nature, but the spaces were not fully natural. This often reflected the view that natural playgrounds could be situated on a spectrum of naturalness depending on the features integrated within the site. To illustrate, John, a landscape architect who worked on several of the sites, described how he viewed natural playgrounds as 'a very large spectrum' with woods and forts on one side and manufactured reproductions of nature, such as catalogue picked plastic logs, on the other side. Keeping natural playgrounds primarily as playgrounds as opposed to more of a natural space was perceived as enticing children into the play spaces. John described how a site had to be 'familiar enough that it would draw [children] in' as a play space and then provide some of the benefits of nature play, such as loose parts play; in this sense, the sites were, as John described, a 'gateway to play'. Similarly, Alex, a natural playground designer that worked on the Confederation Park playground, described how their design team encouraged more natural play in the surrounding green space by creating a pathway from the playground into a nearby copse of conifers, wherein they added logs and trimmed the lower limbs of thick spruce trees for easier access (see Figure 2). Observations and reports from user participants supported that the interventions, including the pathway and logs, brought people underneath the trees for play and engendered natural play opportunities.</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 2. Stand of conifers adjacent to Confederation playground site.</p> <p>Furthermore, several caregiver participants shared the perspective that the natural playgrounds either through their design or context helped encourage play in natural environments. For example, Erin described how the recognizable playground structures, such as slides, within the Mills Park playground 'kind of draw kids in a little bit and attracts them'. Much of the observed play on constructed elements such as playground climbers and slides as well as the reported preferences of child participants for elements such as swings, slides, and climbers, also illustrated that these more traditional playground features attracted children's play. The drawings (e.g. see Figure 3) from child participants, which emphasized constructed playground equipment such as climbing structures, and frequently omitted reference to plantings and other natural features, also suggested the preference for traditional constructed playground features. These findings suggest that nature play does benefit from facilitation, if not by people, then perhaps by produced spaces that invite people inside to explore.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 3. 12-year-old Erin's drawing of Confederation playground.</p> <p>Some participants acknowledged natural playgrounds as forms of human-produced nature. Steven, a father who frequently used the Ralph Klein natural playground, described how the park site 'feels like you're in nature [...] even though it's manmade'. Similarly, Katelyn, a landscape architect involved with several of the natural playground sites described how natural playgrounds are 'a manufactured landscape'. Perhaps also indicating the limitations of a produced natural landscape, two child participants, Kiran (aged 5) and Beau (aged 4), said that there was no nature in the playgrounds; these responses could also be indicative of a developing understanding of abstract concepts such as nature (Piaget [<reflink idref="bib59" id="ref75">59</reflink>]).</p> <p>Daniel, a landscape architect and municipal employee, described how natural playgrounds are often situated in the middle of the spectrum due to diverse pragmatic constraints, such as maintenance concerns and safety standards from Canada Standards Association (CSA) that restrict playground design. Comparing natural playgrounds to a more natural landscape (using the example of a mud pit), Daniel described how diverse factors such as 'operational maintenance requirements, slide CSA impacts, drops, safety requirements, [...and] responsibility to the taxpayer' can influence the design and planning of natural playgrounds, ultimately impacting what the natural sites can become. The tension between risk and natural play opportunities, evident within regulations such as CSA, suggests that playground developers are attempting to integrate natural features into playgrounds while adhering to risk and liability standards. Although injury prevention is a significant consideration in playgrounds, CSA has been critiqued for shifting the focus of children's play spaces, including playgrounds, from the 'needs and desires of children' to issues of 'structural integrity, performance requirements, and maintenance of materials and play structures' (Herrington and Nicholls [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref76">39</reflink>], p. 131). Economic, liability, durability, and safety factors were similarly described by other participants involved in the production of the natural playground sites. Natural playgrounds are thus perceived as offering a form of nature that is regulated, cost effective, and safe. It is a way to bring nature into playgrounds as opposed to creating spaces that are natural.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-7">Materiality, sensory experiences, and form</hd> <p>When describing what was natural within the playground sites, participants most frequently described the materials within the space. Wood was a commonly cited material, especially by child participants, and was often in reference to wooden playground equipment or logs used within the sites. Other materials noted by participants were dirt, trees, rocks, wood chips or engineered wood fiber, and plantings such as grasses and shrubs. Moreover, the absence of or minimal use of plastic and other manufactured materials was perceived as creating more natural sites.</p> <p>Features made from natural materials were at times directly contrasted with playgrounds that use more manufactured reproductions of natural features, such as sculpted and painted plastic boulders and trees. Amir, a thirteen-year-old youth participant described the materials at Confederation Park playground as being made from natural resources as opposed to other playgrounds that 'feel more like fake stuff'. Ellen, a mother, similarly described how in other more conventional playgrounds, 'it's more like these manmade things, even manufactured logs'. Alex, a natural playground designer, described how the materiality of these productions of nature fail to deliver on some of the primary objectives towards integrating natural features into children's play spaces:</p> <p>To me I think the value in putting a boulder or a log in a playground is not that kids can jump from one to the other, it's that they get to interact with natural materials, they get to understand that boulders are a bit rough, they are pretty dang hard. If you trip and you know skin your knee on one, you're going to understand that maybe you want to be a little more careful next time. But it's also just being honest with the materials we're using and not just paint[ing] something. It's using the materials as they can be used. Like we use plastic, plastic is a great material to do slides with, but I think trying to make it look like a log is pointless. I don't see the benefit in that from an aesthetic standpoint or from a play value.</p> <p>Alex's account of the benefits of using natural materials within playground sites noted some of the connected benefits of playing in natural spaces, such as risky play and sensory play (e.g. Brussoni et al. [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref77">10</reflink>]; Loebach and Cox [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref78">48</reflink>]); these types of use functions and play may not be as accessible without the incorporation of natural materials. Alex's comments also tied into the direct feeling of the materials and how they are sensorially experienced by users.</p> <p>The materiality of the natural features within the sites was frequently linked with sensory experiences. Ross, an engineer and designer, described how the materiality of natural playgrounds is a significant factor that 'provides both tangible and intangible benefits'. Elaborating, Ross described how the unique aspects of natural materials precipitate sensory experiences:</p> <p>How somebody interacts with [the natural material] can be really interesting because I imagine potentially a child that is really engaged with texture and feeling and things like that, that could be a whole wonderland of just finding different textures and things like that. [...] Even simple things like, we use a lot of Robinia logs for uprights and things like that. Even those are not perfectly straight, they have angles, they have dents, divets, bumps, and things like that [...] We don't produce them, the earth produces them.</p> <p>Although natural playgrounds are produced forms of nature, the use of materials, such as whole logs, creates a less manufactured and more complex and distinct environment. When Lisa, a mother, was describing what was natural within the Confederation Park site, she also emphasized how the space evoked a sensory experience:</p> <p>I think of all the senses, so you have your sights, like the wood and all that kind of stuff, but you have what you feel is also kind of like natural fibers, natural things, but you also have the smell, right. So often people kind of forget the smell, but the smell is a big part of it. You don't have like a rubber just assaulting the senses, you actually have like the pine trees. You actually have wood...</p> <p>Related to sight, several participants found the muted colours of the playgrounds were more natural than brightly coloured playground equipment. Living organisms also contributed to the materiality of sites and were likewise noted as providing sensory experiences.</p> <p>Several participants also considered the integration of hilly topography, or mounds, within the sites as natural features. Although participants acknowledged that many of the hills within sites were constructed, these features were still perceived as natural. For example, Dana, a mother, described how 'using the topography even if it's actually artificial' made the sites more natural and Gordon, a 12-year-old playground user, described how play structures that are 'built into the terrain' were natural features within the playgrounds. This kind of landform for play, where the landscaped environment provides play opportunities as opposed to a manufactured playground structure, was observed as being more natural.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-8">Site location</hd> <p>After materiality, the context and surrounding environment of sites were frequently described as making a playground natural; this was especially the case for Ralph Klein and Confederation Park, which are situated in large green spaces. The Forest Lawn Library site is situated further from other natural spaces, and thus site context was not described by participants as being a factor towards the naturalness of the playground. Although the Forest Lawn Library site was not perceived to be as natural as other playground sites, it was perceived as bringing some access to nature in an area of the city that lacks green spaces. For example, when asked whether the Forest Lawn Library playground provided access to nature, Michael, a father that frequently brought his two young children to the site, responded:</p> <p>I do a little bit, that's one thing about this part of the city, is that there isn't you know the nature trails that there would be if say you were in Glenmore Reservoir or Fish Creek park [two large green spaces in Calgary].</p> <p>Although the naturalness of playgrounds was related to the contexts in which they were situated, it is also important to bring natural spaces into highly developed contexts so that communities and children can access the many aforementioned benefits provided by access to natural environments.</p> <p>There may, however, be tension between trying to bring natural playgrounds into highly developed contexts that do not necessarily lend themselves as well to fostering a sense of natural environment. For example, Ross emphasized the significance of a natural context as opposed to relying solely on the materiality of natural playground equipment fabricated from wood.</p> <p>I've worked on projects in downtown areas that have no nature around it. We've put products on the rooftops of buildings and things like that. I would not say that that is a natural area, just that the materials are natural. [...] To say that every playground made of wood is somehow more natural, completely ignoring its contexts and surrounding is a fallacy. [...] Saying you know, it's nature, we are creating nature or it's more natural for this playground to be there because it's made of wood and not steel, well, if you live in Phoenix and you go to [our company] and get a playground that's all wood, in a desert area with cactuses, how is that more natural right? Yes, you used a natural material, but it's not necessarily nature for that area.</p> <p>Ross also emphasized the importance of local context to the concept of nature: what is natural within one environment may be perceived as unnatural in another. Interestingly, many of the features within the natural playgrounds of this study were not necessarily based on Calgary's regional prairie landscape, which comprises predominantly grasses with limited tree and water features (Statistics Canada [<reflink idref="bib64" id="ref79">64</reflink>]). For example, Daniel, a landscape architect and municipal employee involved in several of the sites, described challenges because Calgary is located within a prairie landscape, 'so if you're plopping one of these in a newer development, there's not going to be a lot of natural elements that you can get, I say, your nature on'. For this reason, Confederation Park was seen as an ideal location due to the many natural amenities within the already developed green space. As previously noted, wood and trees are a major component within the perceived naturalness of the playgrounds in this study. These natural features, however, are part of the urban canopy or a form of 'second nature' that have been cultivated by settlers within the last hundred or so years in Calgary (Harvey [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref80">37</reflink>], p.185). Although these forms of nature may not be part of the original ecozone, trees and other forms of produced nature have been shown to hold significant physical, social, psychological, and economic benefits for individuals and communities (Mullaney et al. [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref81">57</reflink>]). In addition, trees and other green infrastructure provide diverse ecological functions and sustainability benefits, such as reducing and filtering water runoff and increasing urban biodiversity (Alvey [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref82">2</reflink>]; Livesley et al. [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref83">47</reflink>]).</p> <p>The context of natural playground sites was also related to the presence of wildlife. Situating the natural playground sites within larger natural spaces provides opportunities for users to encounter other organisms and wildlife nearby. These interactions with wildlife, however, aren't necessarily mutually beneficial for the more-than-human world. Meagan, an environmental educator at the Ralph Klein Park, noted that the development of the natural playground at the Ralph Klein environmental education centre precipitated a dramatic increase in visitors, with sometimes hundreds of people visiting the playground on a summer day, which has impacted the wildlife. This area provides habitat space for a diversity of animals, such as deer, foxes, coyotes, hawks, and a rich diversity of birds, including eagles, swallows, and migrating birds such as pelicans. With the creation of the natural playground, Meagan has observed a decline in the number of larger wildlife within the area. As Meagan emphasized, a significant challenge within the site is 'definitely sharing the space with nature'.</p> <p>These kinds of tensions are also evident in commonly reported issues related to the need for maintenance on living plants that occur within natural playgrounds. Several participants noted that the plants brought into sites suffer damage or do not survive due to the extensive amount of play from kids. These issues necessitate the need to balance site users and consider ways to minimize harm to other organisms within the sites.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-9">Sustainability in relation to nature in natural playgrounds</hd> <p>Although sustainability considerations were frequently discussed as a separate topic from nature, discussion surrounding the sustainability of the playgrounds did arise during conversations surrounding nature. In the following quotation, Lisa, a mother, described how the sustainability of Confederation playground contributed to her perception of nature within the site:</p> <p>I also think that some of the nature parts are the recycled components, right [...] it's also natural because there are potentially natural plants around the area sometimes. So, natural, native species of plants in that area [...] and also maybe some materials that maybe are not brought from too far of an area to come into Calgary. So maybe there's more local pieces that are around here. So, it doesn't have as much of an environmental footprint.</p> <p>Several of the designers and planners of the sites discussed similar considerations in relation to sustainability. For example, Katelyn, a natural playground designer, described how she thought natural playgrounds 'come with a bit of responsibility to try and be as sustainable as possible, so using locally sourced materials that are indigenous to the area'. Several sites reused materials to produce features such as fencing, rock seating, and swing sets. Moreover, the extensive use of wood and wood products for playground equipment and ground surface materials within the sites, was noted as being a renewable, less carbon intensive resource that could degrade after its lifespan easier than metal or plastics.</p> <p>Participants also noted that sustainability considerations are complex issues that frequently evade simple conclusions. Even the use of wood as a playground equipment material has significant sustainability issues that require reflection depending on the local context, type of wood material, and production and transportation processes. Participants noted multiple, and potentially conflicting, factors to considering the sustainability of the materials for playgrounds; for example, a comparison between a material's longevity and durability versus its initial carbon footprint or toxicity may yield different sustainability considerations. Another example of playground material that is frequently debated within playground development is the use of rubberized surfacing. This type of playground surfacing was often perceived as being unnatural, however, other participants mentioned that this type of surfacing was made from recycled tires and could be considered a sustainable playground material. For example, Atul, a father, described how his work as an engineer precipitated his concern for sustainability and he preferred rubberized surfacing, which is made from recycled content, as opposed to pea gravel that is generated from industrial processes and the excavation of riverbeds. Multiple issues surrounding rubber playground surfacing are debated; for example, there has been concern surrounding the impact of toxic chemicals from rubber surfacing (EPA [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref84">26</reflink>]). As illustrated by Atul's comment, however, there is difficulty in determining complex sustainability decisions in relation to playground materials.</p> <p>Participants also mentioned potential opportunities to increase the ecological functioning of outdoor public spaces through natural playgrounds; notable examples included creating spaces for biodiverse habitats and stormwater management within a space. Several of the sites have planted areas that have been designed not only to function as space for children's play, but also to provide other ecological benefits. Rather than using only hard engineering for drainage, some of the sites have included forms of Low Impact Development (LID) to drain and filter water run-off, potentially also watering the plants on-site. Instead of collecting and draining water off site, LID aims to keep water onsite through techniques such as bioretention areas, porous pavements, green roofs, or wetlands and ponds (Eckart et al. [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref85">24</reflink>]). The rain garden (bioretention area) at Mills Park playground (Figure 4) and the river run area at Haysboro playground (Figure 5), are two examples of LID at the natural playground sites. These spaces were designed to passively capture rainwater, providing not only on-site water management, but also play areas.</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 4. Rain garden at mills park site.</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 5. River run feature at Haysboro site.</p> <p>Several of the sites also had opportunities to teach about sustainable food production through the integration of food forests or fruit-bearing plants. Moreover, several of the sites were located close to other food production sites, such as the Forest Lawn Library playground, which was next to a community garden and the Ralph Klein playground, which was nearby a city-run orchard. Unfortunately, despite some of the spaces being available for public harvest, most participants felt that the food was not available for general consumption.</p> <p>From the use of sustainable design and materials, there are opportunities to incorporate implicit and explicit environmental education within the play spaces. Scholars describe how design can act as a pedagogical tool to teach about ecological systems and our relationship to the environment (Orr [<reflink idref="bib58" id="ref86">58</reflink>]; Taylor [<reflink idref="bib66" id="ref87">66</reflink>]). Studies on green school buildings and school ground greening demonstrate that sustainable design has the potential to increase environmental education (Bell [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref88">6</reflink>]; Cole and Altenburger [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref89">20</reflink>]; Dyment [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref90">21</reflink>]; Moore [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref91">55</reflink>]). These types of initiatives, however, have been shown to be more impactful for student learning with pedagogical mediation, for example by involving students within the design processes (Dyment [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref92">23</reflink>]) or integrating teaching about the sustainable design features for site users (Cole and Altenburger [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref93">20</reflink>]). Furthermore, research has demonstrated that children's opportunities for informal environmental education within natural play spaces can be hindered by adult supervision and rules that limit their interactions with the environment; for example, children being banned from playing with water, dirt, or other natural materials due to safety or cleanliness concerns (Thompson 2007). Moreover, many environmental education programs and spaces for young children are focused on providing access to nature with the perspective that this immersion will engender ecological consciousness; these initiatives, however, can move towards greater consideration of sustainability beyond anthropocentric worldviews through educator facilitation (Elliott 2017). Facilitating environmental education within natural playgrounds, therefore, requires complex consideration and balancing the tension between allowing for unrestricted free play with natural materials and features, but also providing opportunities for pedagogical mediation towards sustainability. In this sense, it requires an attention to less facilitation of restrictions and more conscious pedagogical attention to sustainability.</p> <p>The need for facilitation of environmental education within sustainable environments was mentioned by several participants within this study. Most notably, the Ralph Klein playground, situated outside an environmental education centre, was described as a place for possible facilitation. Meagan, an environmental educator at Ralph Klein Park, described how she used the playground, which is abstractly designed to show a river system beginning in the mountains, to teach children 'more about nature', including how 'animals move through their environment'. Without this educator-led facilitation, however, most Ralph Klein playground user participants were unaware that features within the site represented a mountain or river system. In the following quotation, Danyelle, a mother and previous childcare provider who frequently visited Ralph Klein playground, described how the site could benefit from greater informal environmental education facilitation:</p> <p>The kids aren't learning about—there's no reference to animals at this park. There's no reference to what's going on. It's just like, here, climb some trees, climb this equipment. I would say we purposely walk past – at the building, they have these big cement barriers that have paintings on them. And we purposely walked by those when we're at the park to have conversation about what animals live in this area and where do you think the deer would live here? I really hoped when I originally saw this design, that kids would have been able to make that connection more with the play and it's just not [there].</p> <p>To encourage environmental education when educators are not present, whether it's in relation to ecological design themes or sustainable design interventions, such as low impact development for on-site water management or local food production, explicit signage describing features could enhance the pedagogical features of these spaces, both for children and adult users alike.</p> <p>The motivations surrounding most of the natural playgrounds in this study seem based more on the benefits they can provide children and child development as opposed to their role in environmentalism, either as a sustainable development intervention or as tools for environmental education. Several of the participants involved with development of the natural playgrounds described how the sites were developed to try and integrate diverse forms of play, beyond physical play, into Calgary's playgrounds. Directly comparing the benefits of using natural materials within the playgrounds, John noted in the following quotation how the predominant benefit of using natural materials is its potential for children's play, as opposed to more ancillary sustainability benefits:</p> <p>Nature is infinitely more interesting than our synthetic materials. There's just more to it, even if you pick up a wood chip, each one looks different. So, when you're a kid developing, you notice these sorts of things. You know, adults tend to kind of glance by it because we have bigger concerns on our mind, but these sorts of like little details are important for developing kids and I'd say that's more of the benefit of natural play equipment than the eco-conscious side, but that's definitely part of it too.</p> <p>Meg, who helped develop the Haysboro natural playground said that the motivation to create the site was ecological where 'if we are going to do this, let's do it sustainably'; however, although the playground was initially intended to provide children with more access to nature, she thought it 'ended up being more play focused than nature focused'. Overall, participants that were involved with the development of these sites described motivating objectives surrounding the benefits of sites to children's play and child development, whereas environmental sustainability was predominantly a secondary consideration.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-10">Conclusion</hd> <p>Although the proliferation of natural playgrounds and natural playground studies have increased with growing concern for children's access to nature (e.g. Frost [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref94">33</reflink>]), there has been very little inquiry into what is perceived as natural within these sites. Analogous to other urban green spaces, the development of natural playgrounds as a form of managed nature instantiates the production of second natures that are socially, politically, and economically produced and mediated (Harvey [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref95">37</reflink>]). In many ways, the features within natural playgrounds exemplify the material and conceptual complexity of nature within children's contemporary environments. Natural playgrounds are rife with tangible entangled productions of nature—for example, from the engineered wood fiber to the wooden climbing structures, nature is best conceptualized as a hybrid that has been modified into a socially acceptable, risk averse version of nature for children's play.</p> <p>Many of the study's participants, both designers and playground users, acknowledged that the natural playground sites were a form of produced nature, which prompts the consideration of what kinds of natures with what kinds of consequences are being produced within these sites (Castree and Braun [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref96">12</reflink>]). Natural playgrounds have been partially motivated by the desire for more non-human natural habitats—both in the intention of providing a place for biodiversity, as well as providing a space where children can connect with the more-than-human world. Although natural playgrounds encompass an attempt to reconnect children to nature, it does not necessarily follow that they will provide this access or create more sustainable environments. For example, findings from this study indicated that Calgary's natural playgrounds were developed primarily for the benefits of child development in relation to play and access to nature from sites was mediated. This study's findings demonstrated several opportunities for developing sustainable play spaces and environmental education within natural playgrounds; however, critical complexities were also present within people's experiences of these sites. When fostering connections to nature, there is a need for greater consideration of the possible impacts these connections may have on the more-than-human world, and towards facilitating environmental education. Currently, natural playgrounds are primarily developed along anthropocentric lines (i.e. to further the development of children); the creation of more ecologically sustainable natural playgrounds requires disruption to this human-centered axiological framework. This study's findings emphasize the critique that children's experiences in nature alone are not enough to develop the kind of environmental education required to engender sustainability within the Anthropocene (Elliott 2017). Further research and inquiry into how these kinds of objectives can be met within children's playgrounds and other play spaces is needed.</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-11">Acknowledgments</hd> <p>Miho Lowan-Trudeau is partially supported by Dr. Candace Nykiforuk's Canada Research Chair in Community Environments and Public Policy for Wellbeing (Grant ID: CRC-2021-00450).</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-12">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <hd id="AN0181862533-13">Funding</hd> <p>This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada under a Joseph-Armand Bombardier Doctoral Scholarship (767-2018-0042). Miho Trudeau is partially supported by Dr. Candace Nykiforuk's Canada Research Chair in Community Environments and Public Policy for Wellbeing (Grant ID: CRC-2021-00450).</p> <ref id="AN0181862533-14"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref7" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Aaron, R. F., and P. A. Witt. 2011. " Urban Students' Definitions and Perceptions of Nature." Children, Youth &amp; Environments 21 (2): 145 – 167. https://doi.org/10.1353/cye.2011.0009.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref82" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Alvey, A. A. 2006. " Promoting and Preserving Biodiversity in the Urban Forest." Urban Forestry &amp; Urban Greening 5 (4): 195 – 201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2006.09.003.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref14" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Amicone, G., S. Collado, P. Perucchini, I. Petruccelli, S. Ariccio, and M. Bonaiuto. 2023. " Green versus Grey Break: Children's Place Experience of Recess-Time in Primary Schools' Natural and Built Area." Children's Geographies 22 (1): 1 – 15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2023.2207118.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref66" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Änggård, E. 2016. " How Matter Comes to Matter in Children's Nature Play: Posthumanist Approaches and Children's Geographies." Children's Geographies 14 (1): 77 – 90. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2015.1004523.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref62" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Barad, K. 2003. " Posthumanist Performativity: Toward an Understanding of How Matter Comes to Matter." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 28 (3): 801 – 831. https://doi.org/10.1086/345321.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref88" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Bell, A. C. 2001. " Engaging Spaces: On School-Based Habitat Restoration." Canadian Journal of Environmental Education 6 (1): 209 – 224.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref63" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Bellino, M. E., and J. D. Adams. 2017. " A Critical Urban Environmental Pedagogy: Relevant Urban Environmental Education for and by Youth." The Journal of Environmental Education 48 (4): 270 – 284. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2017.1336976.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref73" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. " Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology." Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77 – 101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref58" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Braun, B., and N. Castree. 1998. Remaking Reality: Nature at the Millenium. Oxford : Routledge.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Brussoni, M., T. Ishikawa, S. Brunelle, and S. Herrington. 2017. " Landscapes for Play: Effects of an Intervention to Promote Nature-Based Risky Play in Early Childhood Centres." Journal of Environmental Psychology 54 : 139 – 150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.11.001.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Carr, V., and E. Luken. 2014. " Playscapes: A Pedagogical Paradigm for Play and Learning." International Journal of Play 3 (1): 69 – 83. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2013.871965.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Castree, N., and B. Braun. 2001. Social Nature: Theory, Practice, and Politics. Malden, Massachusetts : Blackwell.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Chawla, L. 1999. " Life Paths into Effective Environmental Action." The Journal of Environmental Education 31 (1): 15 – 26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958969909598628.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Chawla, L. 2015. " Benefits of Nature Contact for Children." Journal of Planning Literature 30 (4): 433 – 452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885412215595441.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Chawla, L., K. Keena, I. Pevec, and E. Stanley. 2014. " Green Schoolyards as Havens from Stress and Resources for Resilience in Childhood and Adolescence." Health &amp; Place 28 : 1 – 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.03.001.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Charmaz, K. 2014. Constructing Grounded Theory (2nd edition). London : SAGE Publications.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> 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.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Cloward Drown, K. K., and K. M. Christensen. 2014. " Dramatic Play Affordances of Natural and Manufactured Outdoor Settings for Preschool-Aged Children." Children, Youth and Environments 24 (2): 53 – 77. https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0053.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Coe, D. P., J. I. Flynn, D. L. Wolff, S. N. Scott, and S. Durham. 2014. " Children's Physical Activity Levels and Utilization of a Traditional versus Natural Playground." Children, Youth and Environments 24 (3): 1 – 15. https://doi.org/10.1353/cye.2014.0005.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Cole, L. B., and E. Altenburger. 2019. " Framing the Teaching Green Building: Environmental Education through Multiple Channels in the School Environment." Environmental Education Research 25 (11): 1654 – 1673. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1398817.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Dyment, J. E. 2004. " Green(Ing) School Grounds in the Toronto District School Board: An Investigation of Potential." PhD diss., Lakehead University.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Dyment, J. E. 2005. " Green School Grounds as Sites for Outdoor Learning: Barriers and Opportunities." International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 14 (1): 28 – 45. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500790508668328.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Dyment, J. E. 2008. " Student Participation in School Ground Greening Initiatives in Canada: Reflections on Research Design Decisions and Key Findings." In Participation and Learning: Perspectives on Education and the Environment, Health and Sustainability, edited by A. Reid, B. B. Jensen, J. Nikel, &amp; V. Simovska, 241 – 255. Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6416-6_15.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Eckart, K., Z. McPhee, and T. Bolisetti. 2017. " Performance and Implementation of Low Impact Development – A Review." The Science of the Total Environment 607-608 : 413 – 432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.254.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Elliott, S. 2017. " An Australian Perspective: Seeking Sustainability in Early Childhood Outdoor Play Spaces." In The SAGE Handbook of Outdoor Play and Learning, edited by Waller, T., Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E., Sandseter, E. B. H., Lee-Hammon, L., Lekies, K. &amp; Wyver S. 295 – 316. London : SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526402028.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2022. Federal research on recycled tire crumb used on playing fields. https://<ulink href="http://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields">www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ernst, J. 2017. " Exploring Young Children's and Parents' Preferences for Outdoor Play Settings and Affinity toward Nature." International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education 5 (2): 31 – 45.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Ewert, A., G. Place, and J. Sibthorp. 2005. " Early-Life Outdoor Experiences and an Individual's Environmental Attitudes." Leisure Sciences 27 (3): 225 – 239. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400590930853.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Fjørtoft, I., and J. Sageie. 2000. " The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: Landscape Description and Analyses of a Natural Playscape." Landscape and Urban Planning 48 (1-2): 83 – 97. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00045-1.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Fjørtoft, I. 2001. " The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: The Impact of Outdoor Play Activities in Pre-Primary School Children." Early Childhood Education Journal 29 (2): 111 – 117. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012576913074.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Fjørtoft, I. 2004. " Landscape as Playscape: The Effects of Natural Environments on Children's Play and Motor Development." Children, Youth and Environments 14 (2): 21 – 44. https://doi.org/10.1353/cye.2004.0054.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Fletcher, R. 2017. " Connection with Nature is an Oxymoron: A Political Ecology of "Nature-Deficit Disorder." The Journal of Environmental Education 48 (4): 226 – 233. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2016.1139534.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Frost, J. L. 2010. A History of Children's Play and Play Environments: Toward a Contemporary Child-Saving Movement. New York, NY : Routledge.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gandy, M. 2002. Concrete and Clay: Reworking Nature in New York City. Cambridge, MA : The MIT Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gill, Tim. 2014. " The Benefits of Children's Engagement with Nature: A Systematic Literature Review." Children, Youth and Environments 24 (2): 10 – 34. https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0010.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Haraway, D. J. 1991. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. London, UK : Free Association Books.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Harvey, D. 1996. Justice, Nature &amp; the Geography of Difference. Malden, MA : Blackwell Publishers Inc.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Henderson, J. A., and R. K. Zarger. 2017. " Toward Political Ecologies of Environmental Education." The Journal of Environmental Education 48 (4): 285 – 289. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2017.1336978.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Herrington, S., and J. Nicholls. 2007. " Outdoor Play Spaces in Canada: The Safety Dance of Standards as Policy." Critical Social Policy 27 (1): 128 – 138. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261018307072210.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Heynen, N., M. Kaika, and E. Swyngedouw. 2006. " Urban Political Ecology: Politicizing the Production of Urban Natures." In In the Nature of Cities: Urban Political Ecology and the Politics of Urban Metabolism, edited by Heynen, N., Kaika, M. &amp; Swyngedouw, E., 1 – 20. Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Hillman, M., and J. G. U. Adams. 1992. " Children's Freedom and Safety." Children's Environments 9 (2): 10 – 22.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Horton, J., and P. Kraftl. 2018. " Rats, Assorted Shit and 'Racist Groundwater': Towards Extra Sectional Understandings of Childhoods and Social-Material Processes." Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 36 (5): 926 – 948. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263775817747278.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kaika, M. 2005. City of Flows: Modernity, Nature, and the City. New York, NY : Routledge.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Karsten, L. 2005. " It All Used to Be Better? Different Generations on Continuity and Change in Urban Children's Daily Use of Space." Children's Geographies 3 (3): 275 – 290. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733280500352912.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Latour, B. 1993. We Have Never Been Modern. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Lewis, S. L., and M. A. Maslin. 2015. " Defining the Anthropocene." Nature 519 (7542): 171 – 180. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14258.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Livesley, S. J., E. G. McPherson, and C. Calfapietra. 2016. " The Urban Forest and Ecosystem Services: Impacts on Urban Water, Heat, and Pollution Cycles at the Tree, Street, and City Scale." Journal of Environmental Quality 45 (1): 119 – 124. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2015.11.0567.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Loebach, J., and A. Cox. 2020. " Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO): A New Typology for Capturing Children's Play Behaviors in Outdoor Environments." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 (15): 5611. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155611.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Malone, K, and, P. Tranter. 2003. " School Grounds as Sites for Learning: making the Most of Environmental Opportunities." Environmental Education Research 9 (3): 283 – 303. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620303459.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Malone, K., and, P. Tranter. 2003. " Children's Environmental Learning and the Use, Design and Management of Schoolgrounds." Children, Youth and Environments 13 (2): 87 – 137. <ulink href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.13.2.0087">http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.13.2.0087</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Malone, K. 2016. " Reconsidering Children's Encounters with Nature and Place Using Posthumanism." Australian Journal of Environmental Education 32 (1): 42 – 56. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2015.48.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> McCurdy, L. E., K. E. Winterbottom, S. S. Mehta, and J. R. Roberts. 2010. " Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children's Health." Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care 40 (5): 102 – 117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2010.02.003.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> McKibben, B. 2006. The End of Nature. New York, NY : Random House.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Mereweather, J. 2019. " New Materialisms and Children's Outdoor Environments: Murmurative Diffractions." Children's Geographies 17 (1): 105 – 117. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2018.1471449.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Moore, R. C. 1995. " Children Gardening: First Steps towards a Sustainable Future." Children's Environments 12 (2): 222 – 232.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Moore, R. 2014. Nature Play and Learning Places: Creating and Managing Places Where Children Engage with Nature. Raleigh, NC : Natural Learning Initiative and National Wildlife Federation.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Mullaney, J., T. Lucke, and S. J. Trueman. 2015. " A Review of Benefits and Challenges in Growing Street Trees in Paved Urban Environments." Landscape and Urban Planning 134 : 157 – 166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.10.013.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Orr, D. W. 2002. The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture, and Human Intention. New York, NY : Oxford University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Piaget, J. 1951. Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. London : Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315009698.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Prins, J., F. van der Wilt, S. van Santen, C. van der Veen, and D. Hovinga. 2023. " The Importance of Play in Natural Environments for Children's Language Development: An Explorative Study in Early Childhood Education." International Journal of Early Years Education 31 (2): 450 – 466. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2022.2144147.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Raney, M. A., C. F. Hendry, and S. A. Yee. 2019. " Physical Activity and Social Behaviors of Urban Children in Green Playgrounds." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 56 (4): 522 – 529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.11.004.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Robbins, P. 2012. Political Ecology: A Critical Introduction. Chichester, West Sussex : John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stanley, E. 2011. " The Place of Outdoor Play in a School Community: A Case Study of Recess Values." Children, Youth and Environments 21 (1): 185 – 211. https://doi.org/10.1353/cye.2011.0041.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Statistics Canada. 2015. Ecoregion profile: Fescue Grassland. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/16-002-x/2011001/part-partie4-eng.htm</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Taylor, A. F., and F. E. Kuo. 2006. " Is Contact with Nature Important for Healthy Child Development? State of the Evidence." In Children and Their Environments: Learning, Using and Designing Spaces, edited by C. Spencer and M. Blades, 124 – 140. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Taylor, A. 1993. " The Learning Environment as a Three-Dimensional Textbook." Children's Environments, 10 (2): 170– 179.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Taylor, A. F., F. E. Kuo, and W. C. Sullivan. 2001. " Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings." Environment and Behavior 33 (1): 54 – 77. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160121972864.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Thomson, S. 2007. " Do's and Don'ts: children's Experiences of the Primary School Playground." Environmental Education Research 13 (4): 487 – 500. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620701581588.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Tillmann, S., B. Button, S. E. Coen, and J. A. Gilliland. 2019. " Nature Makes People Happy, That's What It Sort of Means:' Children's Definitions and Perceptions of Nature in Rural Northwestern Ontario." Children's Geographies 17 (6): 705 – 718. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2018.1550572.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> United Nations. 2019. UN Report: Nature's dangerous decline 'unprecendented'; species extinction rates 'accelerating'. https://<ulink href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/">www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> van den Berg, A. E., and C. G. van den Berg. 2011. " A Comparison of Children with ADHD in a Natural and Built Setting." Child: Care, Health and Development 37 (3): 430 – 439. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01172.x.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> van Heel, B. F., R. J. G. van den Born, and M. N. C. Aarts. 2022. " Everyday Childhood Nature Experiences in an Era of Urbanisation: An Analysis of Dutch Children's Drawings of Their Favourite Place to Play Outdoors." Children's Geographies 21 (3): 1– 16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2022.2071600.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Verstrate, L., and L. Karsten. 2015. " Development of Nature Playgrounds from the 1970s Onwards." In Play, Recreation, Health and Well Being edited by B. Evans, J. Horton, &amp; T. Skelton, 1 – 19. Singapore: Springer.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wals, A. E. J. 1994. " Nobody Planted It, It Just Grew! Young Adolescents' Perceptions and Experiences of Nature in the Context of Urban Environmental Education." Children's Environments 11 (3): 177 – 193.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wells, N. M., and G. W. Evans. 2003. " Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress among Rural Children." Environment and Behavior 35 (3): 311 – 330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503035003001.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wells, N. M., and K. S. Lekies. 2006. " Nature and the Life Course: Pathways from Childhood Nature Experiences to Adult Environmentalism." Children, Youth &amp; Environments 16 (1): 1 – 24. https://doi.org/10.1353/cye.2006.0031.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wight, R. A., H. Kloos, C. V. Maltbie, and V. W. Carr. 2016. " Can Playscapes Promote Early Childhood Inquiry towards Environmentally Responsible Behaviors? an Exploratory Study." Environmental Education Research 22 (4): 518 – 537. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2015.1015495.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wilhelm, S. A., and I. E. Schneider. 2005. " Diverse Urban Youth's Nature: Implications for Environmental Education." Applied Environmental Education &amp; Communication 4 (2): 103 – 113. https://doi.org/10.1080/15330150590944812.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Miho Trudeau</p> <p>Reported by Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib72" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib69" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib74" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib78" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib60" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib65" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib67" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib71" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib75" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib52" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib61" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref25"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib76" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib50" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib63" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib68" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib77" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref39"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl34" bibid="bib56" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl35" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl36" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl37" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref44"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl38" bibid="bib73" firstref="ref45"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl39" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl40" bibid="bib70" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl41" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref52"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl42" bibid="bib53" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl43" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref54"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl44" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref55"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl45" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref56"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl46" bibid="bib62" firstref="ref57"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl47" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref59"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl48" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref61"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl49" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref64"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl50" bibid="bib51" firstref="ref65"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl51" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl52" bibid="bib54" firstref="ref68"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl53" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref71"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl54" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref74"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl55" bibid="bib59" firstref="ref75"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl56" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref76"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl57" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref77"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl58" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref78"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl59" bibid="bib64" firstref="ref79"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl60" bibid="bib57" firstref="ref81"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl61" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref83"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl62" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref84"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl63" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref85"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl64" bibid="bib58" firstref="ref86"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl65" bibid="bib66" firstref="ref87"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl66" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref89"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl67" bibid="bib55" firstref="ref91"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl68" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref96"></nolink> |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1455129 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: 'What Is Natural in Natural Playgrounds?': Nature, Sustainability and Environmental Education in Calgary's Natural Playgrounds – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Miho+Trudeau%22">Miho Trudeau</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Environmental+Education+Research%22"><i>Environmental Education Research</i></searchLink>. 2025 31(1):74-91. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 18 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Playgrounds%22">Playgrounds</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Education%22">Environmental Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainable+Development%22">Sustainable Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Design+Requirements%22">Design Requirements</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+Elements+%28Construction%29%22">Structural Elements (Construction)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Environment%22">Educational Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Influences%22">Environmental Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Interpretation%22">Environmental Interpretation</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada+%28Calgary%29%22">Canada (Calgary)</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1080/13504622.2024.2374326 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1350-4622<br />1469-5871 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Although natural playgrounds have originated from an intention to provide greater access to nature for children, these play spaces offer a designed and regulated space that diverges from other natural contexts. This study investigated the perceived and sociomaterially constructed role of nature in natural playgrounds by examining what people (i.e. playground designers and users) perceive and experience as natural within five natural playground sites in Calgary, Alberta. Drawing from interviews with playground developers, caregivers, and children that use the natural playground sites, this study describes what features are perceived as natural within the playgrounds, what shapes these forms of nature, and how these forms of nature may contribute to sustainable learning environments. This study found several opportunities and challenges surrounding sustainability, including the use of sustainable design within sites, the tension of sharing sites with non-human users, and the potential for further environmental education embedded within site design. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1455129 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1455129 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/13504622.2024.2374326 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 18 StartPage: 74 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Playgrounds Type: general – SubjectFull: Environmental Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Sustainable Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Design Requirements Type: general – SubjectFull: Structural Elements (Construction) Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Environment Type: general – SubjectFull: Environmental Influences Type: general – SubjectFull: Environmental Interpretation Type: general – SubjectFull: Canada (Calgary) Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: 'What Is Natural in Natural Playgrounds?': Nature, Sustainability and Environmental Education in Calgary's Natural Playgrounds Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Miho Trudeau IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1350-4622 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1469-5871 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 31 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Environmental Education Research Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
