One of the most significant issues related to urban public design is considering outdoor spaces for children to play. Children need to see their environment as a part of their life and learn to protect it. Furthermore, they develop social, emotional, and physical skills by playing outdoors. In some developing countries such as Iran, limited knowledge exists about the state of outdoor play areas for children in cities. This study highlights the need for planners and other land managers to consider the critical importance of the urban environment for play activities of children and its current status in Iran. Literature, studies, opinions and ideas on the value of play and outdoors for children in cities and the limitations of their outdoor play is explored; the issues and points obtained from the literature are analyzed. And the need for further research with children and rethinking for the allocation and design of children's open space in Tehran is highlighted. Consequently, the criteria to consider children's play spaces in city of Tehran are proposed. Accessibility, local government involvement, knowledge sharing, appropriate playground design and accounting on children's voice and view in design process are some criteria which are recommended to promote children's open space and outdoor play area in Tehran.
School grounds are critical places because they are some of the few play areas available for children to develop and transfer peer culture. Moreover, school playtime, which is often called "recess", offers children daily opportunities for physical activity in the outdoor environment. During school years, age has always been presented in the studies on children as a fundamental component of their development. Children of different ages are interested in different play styles and have various play priorities. However, few studies have compared play patterns in children within age groups. This study explores play behaviors during recess in elementary school children overall, and secondly examines the differences in the play behavior of children, considering first graders who enter elementary school and the last graders. This study uses quantitative design and naturalistic observational approaches. An ethnogram recorded the observations of the play activities preferences of the children. The results of this study showed that girls spend the majority of their recess talking and socializing with peers generally. Older children, particularly those in grades fifth and sixth, spend more time socializing than other age groups. Children in the first grade spent much time in active free play, such as chasing and running, during recess and tend use their playtime as an opportunity to perform a physical activity; therefore the significance of combining recess and provisions for physical activity to reach health goals becomes clearer. These findings are interesting considerations for further research; such information could help to develop appropriate interventions to improve the recess.
Children need to play outdoors to develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Outdoor play opportunities have the potential to promote physical and mental health throughout the life of children. Outdoor play has been acknowledged as a primary right for children; therefore there is a need to create spaces, where children can go and play spontaneously every day. Regarding to where the outdoor play of children takes place is significant; school grounds, as a place for children to learn and promote their health, could be assumed as a key setting that enhances and contributes to outdoor play guidelines. It requires making awareness and evaluation of current school grounds referring to outdoor play requirements. Four school grounds were selected as case studies in Tehran to be evaluated by School Environmental Audit Tool (SEAT). The survey shows a lack of proper consideration in the design and maintenance in the current situation of these important sites for children. At the end, some recommendations were proposed in order to outdoor play provision in accordance to current school grounds of Tehran.
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