EID Project - Spontaneous Child-Initiated EID

"Spontaneous" Child-Initiated EID

EID Activities:

Educators and caretakers play a vital role in supporting the healthy EID of children, but oftentimes we can best support children by simply allowing kids to be kids.

We encourage adults to recognize children's self-initiated play and exploratory behavior in the natural world as important and influential interactions for their EID. We use the word "spontaneous" to describe these activities, because they occur without planning on the part of the adult or child. They are spurred by a child's interests and the environment itself. For young children, outdoor play in natural settings increases the diversity of play behaviors (Zamani, 2016), as well as supports imaginative play and prosocial behaviors (Dowdell et al., 2011). Outdoor play also exposes children to new risks and unpredictable environments, allowing them to experience success and failure and to develop self-regulation strategies (Bento & Dias, 2017).

We observed children climbing, engaging in imaginative play, and playing with sticks in both our rural cohort and non-rural cohort. The nature of play and the relative skills of the children differed between and within cohorts at times. Nevertheless, children repeatedly sought out and engaged in these activities across contexts.

These activities may seem cute and commonplace from viewpoint of adults bystanders, but our research methods provide us unique insight into the perspective of a child. Below, we are providing several videos from the vantage of children, ages 4-5, with wearable cameras on their foreheads. Through these videos, we see how truly physically and mentally challenging an activity like climbing a tree may be for a child. We hear how a child's imaginative self-talk transforms an unfamiliar thicket into their own "house" complete with "doors." We see how sticks become tools of imagination and exploration, giving children greater confidence to explore their environment.

Adults can encourage these activities by providing the space and time for these activities to take place. Longer periods of uninterrupted play time in natural settings allow children to engage in more meaningful ways with the environment, providing an "opportunity to get lost in their play" (Kiewra & Veselack, 2016, p. 89). Adults should play a supportive role, rather than a directive role, in these settings. With a supportive, but unobtrusive presence, adults can monitor outdoor activities without disrupting play behaviors (Kiewra & Veselack, 2016). Adults, of course, can participate in these play behaviors at the request or invitation of children.

Climbing in Nature

Children often seek out high places to gain a heightened view of the world (Green, 2018). Meeting the challenge of climbing a tall tree, a steep hill, a giant rock, provides children with feelings of strength and confidence. When facing these challenges, children may also navigate difficult emotional experiences, learning how to regulate feelings of stress or discomfort. This activity allows children to demonstrate and develop greater spatial autonomy. They gain environmental competencies, both as they gain physical skills of climbing and as they learn how to read and test different objects and substrates in the environment.

Climbing Boulders

Chloe sees all the boys climbing ahead of her on the boulders. She struggles to pull herself up onto the rocks and calls for help. However, after a moment, she realizes she has the strength to pull herself up. By the end of her climb she is confident enough to jump off the boulders and land on her feet.

Climbing Trees

Jennifer self-talks throughout her tree-climbing experiences. She lets us know her thoughts and feelings as she attempts to climb a tree. Although she becomes discouraged initially, she persistently attempts to climb trees throughout the day; this bolsters her sense of self-confidence and determination. Jennifer's example reveals how the process of learning a new skill takes time, practice, and determination.

Climbing the Log

Sally joyously exercises her spatial autonomy as she climbs up a steep hill and deftly maneuvers across a long driftwood log. Although she is challenged as she climbs the hill, breathing heavily and using her hands to pull herself up, she continues to laugh throughout the experience.

Climbing the Bank

Samuel climbs up and down a steep riverbank. Throughout his video, we can see numerous children in the background, struggling or succeeding to climb up the same incline. We can hear Samuel's struggle as he makes his way up the bank, as well as his excitement when he is successful.

Imaginative Play

Imaginative play, pretend play, symbolic play, and dramatic play: all these terms refer to the use of imagination or role-playing in children's play activities. Natural environments can inspire children's imaginations to a greater degree than built environments like playrooms and playgrounds (Kiewra & Veselack, 2016; Zamani, 2016). Natural environments provide open-ended materials (leaves, rocks, sticks) that children can repurpose into anything they imagine (Kiewra & Veselack, 2016). Children can achieve greater spatial autonomy through imaginary scenarios and roleplaying that allow them to explore and enjoy the environment in new ways (Green, 2018).

Hunting a Bear

Samuel pretends to go hunting with Owen and Sean. The boys live in a Native village in rural Alaska, where subsistence hunting of bear and moose is common among families. Their pretending allows them to act out this important cultural practice, as they repurpose sticks into shotguns. Through this play, we also see how the boys socialize, work together, and share.

Finding a House

Joshua has slowly explored the cottonwood thicket for a few minutes when he begins to realize (and verbalize) that he's having fun. He walks into the thicket again and transforms it into his house. He finds "doors" in the branches, lifting them so he can follow new passageways. His exploratory behavior increases as he walks through the various rooms and hallways in his house.

Riding the Train

This video is from the viewpoint of an adult researcher. In this video, we see Philip sit down at the front of the driftwood log. He immediately transforms it into a train, simply by saying "Choo choo!" The girls sitting behind him quickly follow suit. The group is fluid and responsive to the actions of their peers. They continue to ride the train even after Philip has walked away.

Stick Play

Sticks and other "loose objects" found in the natural world inspire creativity and encourage immersive play behaviors (Kiewra & Veselack, 2016; Zamani, 2016; Storli et al., 2020). In our research, children used sticks as sword and guns, as wands and walking sticks, and as tools for exploring and manipulating the environment. Sticks often inspired pretend or imaginary behavior. We found that playing with or holding sticks encouraged children to practice greater spatial autonomy. Using sticks as tool to manipulate the environment may also build environmental competencies, as children gain a greater understanding of the materials, substrates, and physics of their environment.

Stick Swords

Justin finds a stick in the snow that becomes his sword. His pretends to sword-fight with friends, but the stick's usefulness does not end there. As they enter the woods, Justin imagines, or possibly truly feels, that "there might be dangers" ahead. Luckily, he has his stick swords, and he feels empowered to lead the group into the woods.

The Walking Stick

Emma finds her stick in the sand and carefully picks it up. She very slowly and intentionally makes use of it as a walking stick, using it to help pull herself up the steep sandy hill. She does not use the stick unthinkingly, but instead creatively explores its use as a tool. She begins to poke hole in the sand, making "paw prints."

Building Sandcastles

This brief video from the point of view of Chloe shows Anne and Erin using sticks to shape their sandcastles. Unlike the other scenarios in this list, the sticks did not inspire the activity. Rather, while trying to accomplish the task of building sandcastles, Anne saw the stick and realized its usefulness as a tool. Erin observed Anne's creativity, and Erin found another stick to use.

The Versatility of Sticks

In this video, Joseph interacts with sticks in a variety of ways. He sees a pile of sticks in the woods, and he wonders if beavers live there. He sees an especially tall stick, and he creatively discusses height and quality of this stick with Jennifer. He also finds and uses a stick as a tool to manipulate and explore the snow.

References

Bento, G. & Dias, G. (2017). The importance of outdoor play for young children’s healthy development. Porto Biomedical Journal, 2(5), 157-160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pbj.2017.03.003

Dowdell, K., Gray, T., & Malone, K. (2011). Nature and its influence on children's outdoor play. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 15(2), 24-35.

Green, C.J. (2018). Young children’s spatial autonomy in their home environment and a forest setting. Journal of Pedagogy, 9(1), 65-85. https://doi.org/10.2478/jped-2018-0004

Kiewra, C. & Veselack, E. (2016). Playing with nature: Supporting preschoolers’ creativity in natural outdoor classrooms. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 4(1), 70-95.

Storli, R., Sandseter, E. B. H., & Sando, O. J. (2020). Children’s involvement in free play and the use of play materials in the outdoor early childhood education and care environment. Children, Youth and Environments, 30(1), 66-82.

Zamani, Z. (2016). ‘The woods is a more free space for children to be creative; their imagination kind of sparks out there’: Exploring young children’s cognitive play opportunities in natural, manufactured and mixed outdoor preschool zones. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(2), 172-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2015.1122538

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