Observations of Pre-School Children at Play

Eileen Crowley-Sullivan and John T. Cheffers, 1989

Two preschool boys were observed unobtrusively while they played inside and outside of the home. IRG III was used to collect data on the intensity of involvement of the children playing alone and together. The number and nature of the tasks while at play were also recorded.

The most significant finding here was the higher level of involvement and the decreased number of activities when the boys played outside rather than inside. IRG III results showed that the emotional involvement of both subjects was at least double in quality and quantity when they played out of doors. Furthermore, both subjects interacted at least 60% more with each other when playing outside. IRG III also defined the negative behaviors of the boys and one of the subjects was significantly more violent when playing inside rather than outside.

The results of this study showed that preschool children engaged in play tasks with a high incidence of involvement, especially when permitted to choose their own task. The results of the indoor versus outdoor play involvement levels were quite alarming and helped to confirm the need for outdoor play. The investigators helped to support the theory that children need to engage in play for both task and emotional involvement considerations. IRG III helped to quantify this with two preschool boys.