Outdoor play essay

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.
Alternate Assignment

If you are unable to conduct a site visit due to physical disabilities or access issues, you may instead write a research paper on the best practices in an outdoor play environment so that it supports physical growth for those in early childhood and middle childhood in a safe and secure way. Address all the questions above and follow the Paper Requirements, below.

Paper Requirements:

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.
Format your paper according to APA guidelines.
Support your analysis with at least three scholarly references. These can include resources from this course.