A study on nursery children's outdoor play: playground sizes and children's physial activity levels

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26350933
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: NONAKA HISAKO 名古屋市立大学, 大学院人間文化研究科, 教授 (10164716)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 保育所 / 幼児 / 園庭 / 活動量 / 活動強度 / 運動能力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined how the size of playground in the nursery school is related to children’s levels of physical activity in playing outdoor (in the playground and outside of the school). We compared two nursery schools, School A with a smaller playground and School B with a larger playground. A total of 42 children (20 children from School A; 22 children from School B) participated from 3 years old to 5 years old. We measured physical activity levels by accelerometer for ten days, and three types pf physical fitness tests were carried out.　　We found that the activity level of children at School A with a smaller playground was lower than that of children at School B with a larger playground, but that there were not significant differences in physical fitness tests. However, as results of cross-lagged analysis, we found differences between them.

Free Research Field

発育発達学