An Observational Study of Children Playing on an Inclusive Playground and on an Universal Playground
Tina L. Stanton-Chapman; Eric L. Schmidt; Carla Rhoades&Lindsey Monnin
Abstract
The current study explored the number of children who played on a universally designed playground and the amount of time they played on this playground and compared it to similar outcomes of children playing on an inclusive playground. Direct observations of children playing at both playgrounds were conducted over a six-month time period. Observations were conducted on weekdays and weekends during morning, afternoon, and evenings and were counterbalanced. Playground A had 15 boys and eight girls playing over 6-months. The children spent an average of 15-minutes playing. Playground B had 10,534 boys and 11,229 girls playing over 6-months. The children spent an average of 1-hour, 15-minutes playing. Given the low numbers of children playing at Playground A, direct comparisons cannot be made between the two playgrounds. The findings suggest that children prefer universal playgrounds over inclusive playgrounds.