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Perceived space characteristics fostering friendship with place, peers, and nature in the preschool yard
Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science.
Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of applied educational science.
2025 (English)In: Frontiers in Psychology, E-ISSN 1664-1078, Vol. 16, article id 1613637Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Preschool facilities in dense urban conditions with more plain open spaces and artificial materials put children’s access to nature at risk. In the transformation towards sustainable futures, children’s place preferences can be an important guide to the planning and design of outdoor environments where they can develop bonds and friendships with place, peers, and nature. Research has documented useful features for children at a preschool yard, but less is known about how children make meaning of the space, and the role of the physical environment for their development of sense of place. This study aimed to investigate favorite places during walk-and-talks in preschool yards with children aged 3–5 years old in a Swedish municipality. Field notes, maps, and photos documented how the children use and make meaning in the preschool yard. The results are six perceived space characteristics: sandbox space, artificial dwelling space, bushy space, woody space, borderland space, and temporary space. The results are discussed in the light of bonds with place, peers, and nature as formative of children’s place-identity and burgeoning development of sense of place. It suggests that more attention is paid to the general characteristics of children’s outdoor spaces as they are perceived by children, in addition to basic requirements for size and functionality.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media S.A., 2025. Vol. 16, article id 1613637
Keywords [en]
children’s play, education for sustainability, landscape architecture, nature-based solutions, outdoor environment, place attachment, preschool, sense of place
National Category
Human Geography
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-247931DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1613637ISI: 001637709500001PubMedID: 41404164Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105024825414OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-247931DiVA, id: diva2:2025834
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2020–00988Available from: 2026-01-08 Created: 2026-01-08 Last updated: 2026-01-08Bibliographically approved

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Félix, InêsManni, Annika
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