You searched for:

  • All

Children's outdoor play: Exploring parental concerns about children's safety and the changing nature of childhood

Parental concerns are more influential than the availability of play spaces in determining children's play opportunities

In this study, Drs. Gill Valentine and John McKendrick surveyed 400 socio-economically diverse parents in Northwest England who had 8 to 11 year old children. They conducted an in-depth interview with 70 of these parents to investigate their opinions about public facilities and play spaces, as well as specific concerns (e.g., safety) that might be influencing children’s access to these spaces. In analyzing their data, the authors found that most parents were dissatisfied with public play facilities in their neighborhoods and that there were differences in parents’ opinions about these facilities based on social class, family status (e.g., single or two parent household), and geographic area (urban vs. rural). Despite this overall perceived lack of opportunity, however, Drs. Valentine and McKendrick found that parental restrictions play the largest role in determining children’s play opportunities and that even if there were enough adequate play facilities, many parents would not allow their children to use them based on their concerns about safety related to traffic and strangers. Additionally, they found that family status (e.g., single or two parent household) impacts children’s play experience and that social interaction among mothers plays an important role in determining what is acceptable regarding children’s outdoor play.

Citation

Valentine, G., McKendrick, J., (1997). Children's outdoor play: Exploring parental concerns about children's safety and the changing nature of childhood. Geoforum, 28(2), 205-220.

DOI

MADE POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT FROM:

Turner Foundation

MADE POSSIBLE WITH ONGOING SUPPORT FROM:

University of Minnesota - Institute on the Environment
EE Research

A collaborative research library of:

Children and Nature Network and NAAEE

Connect to more resources through our eeResearch collaboration with the North American
Association for Environmental Education, combining articles, syntheses and research summaries
for the field of environmental education and the children and nature movement.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Help us make sure that all children live, learn and grow with nature in their daily lives.

Donate Membership