For this activity, you need to go to a playground either in a park or school yard. Your task is to evaluate the outdoor play environment to determine if it supports physical growth for those in early and middle childhood in a safe and secure way.
[Note: If you are unable to conduct a site visit, please see the alternate assignment, below.]
- Select three pieces of equipment that would allow children to engage in different types of play.
- For each piece of equipment, address the following.
- Name the equipment.
- Indicate the specific type of gross motor skills for each age group that is developed by using the equipment (hint: do not mix up terms for early- and middle-childhood skills).
- What, if any, fine motor skills are being developed for each age group (again, do not confuse early- and middle-childhood skills)?
- Specify which senses are being stimulated.
- Name the type of play in which the child engages while using each piece of equipment (it can be more than one type).
- Consider what materials were used to make the equipment and what is used on the ground under it (e.g., sand, grass, concrete). Evaluate whether each is safe. Explain.
Write a two to three page paper, not including the required title and reference pages. Indicate in your title if this is a site visit or a paper based on the alternate assignment.
Support your analysis with at least three scholarly references. These can include resources from this course.
