This action research involved creating a new deck to improve the utility of a playground in a kindergarten and consequently to enrich the quality of children's play. In order to reduce conflicts ...among children caused by the limited size of the playground, the following changes were made: a constructive environment was created which includes both public space and some areas for individual play. In particular, the new deck provided children alternative spaces to hang around and enjoy playing by linking them feely and providing fewer physical restraints in a play context. These changes significantly facilitated the children's play and enriched their imagination. To improve the quality of a kindergarten environment, we need to consider the relationship between a constructive environment and the quality of play.
As basic materials for the review and renovation of kindergarten playgrounds, this study surveys the actual artificial mounds in the playgrounds of all municipal kindergartens and authorized ...centers for early childhood education and care in City S, categorizing their shapes and locations within the playgrounds. In addition, based on interviews with parents/guardians, it clarifies the actual state of children’s play on the artificial mounds. The survey found that the mounds could be categorized into a hill type and a type combined with play equipment. Categories of locations within the playgrounds included a type next to fixed play equipment and a free-standing type. Children’s actual play, as seen from the parents’ perspective, was analyzed according to the five areas of nursery care, with play in all five areas confirmed. The above enables a examination of the multivalent possibilities of artificial mounds, providing insight for the renovation of kindergarten playgrounds.
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