Elementary School Children's Playground Behavior

Implications for Children's Social-Cognitive Development

Abstract

The intent of this study is to describe the playground behavior of elementary school children and to determine the relations between these behaviors and social-cognitive measures. Children in Grades K, 2, and 4 were observed for 8 months during their recess periods on the school's contemporary playground. Event and scan sampling techniques were used. In addition, measures of children's social-cognitive status were administered. The behavioral data suggested that playground behavior varied by location on the playground and gender of the child. Further, boys and girls tended to self-select themselves into different playground environments. Exploratory data on the relations between children's playground behavior and their social-cognitive status suggest that boys' behaviors are related to measures of both adaption and maladaptation. Girls' behavior was generally not related to these measures. Results are discussed in terms of boys' propensity for active, outdoor play and the usefulness of such behavioral data for gauging children's social-cognitive status.