Exploring Parental Insights into Outdoor Play Activities for Children

Chong, Yee Chen (2025) Exploring Parental Insights into Outdoor Play Activities for Children. Exploring Parental Insights into Outdoor Activities for Children. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Data was gathered through parent interviews, with a focus on four key developmental aspects such as physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. In terms of physical development, parents saw gains in gross motor abilities, physical fitness, balanced coordination, and higher energy levels which indicates that outdoor play promotes good habits. Outdoor play promoted socialising, collaborating, and dispute resolution. Emotionally, outdoor activities increased children's confidence and self-esteem while generating a happy and cheerful attitude. Cognitive advantages included improved analytical abilities, notably in problem solving and observation. The research used semi-structured, one-on-one interviews to investigate parents' thoughts on the influence of outdoor play on their children's development. Open-ended questions would be utilised to gather detailed views. Data will be gathered, documented, and transcribed for analysis. This research investigated parents' perceptions of the impact of outdoor play on children's development, with a focus on children aged two to six years. The research also investigated the frequency and extent of children's engagement in outdoor play. Most parents agreed that their children participate in outdoor activities two to three times a week, however some were concerned about time restrictions. Parental encouragement was largely favourable, with considerations including child supervision, weather conditions, and safety concerns determining whether or not to allow or restrict outside play.