Making Nature Explicit in Children’s Drawings of Wellbeing and Happy Spaces

Abstract

Previous research on children’s wellbeing indicators has focused extensively on adults’, rather than children’s perspectives, despite there being a broad consensus that children’s conceptualisations differ significantly from adults’. In response, this study aimed to explore what constitutes children’s wellbeing through their drawings and discussions. Ninety-one seven and eight-year old children from two primary schools in areas of relatively high deprivation in eastern England participated in this study. We identified indicators of wellbeing that were made explicit in children’s drawings, such as the need for safety, happiness and positive relationships, but also indicators that remained rather implicit, such as the environment and nature. The drawings in particular illustrated that children’s perceptions of wellbeing were subject to the affordances of their favourite spaces for emotional, mental physical and material wellbeing. Access to nature and outdoor spaces was interconnected with all these affordances. We analysed these findings through the theoretical lenses of positive psychology, self-actualisation, social mentality and the human-nature relationship. We argue that making nature explicit, and restoring the interconnectedness between the arts and nature in the current literature, should be a key priority for future research and practice on children’s wellbeing indicators.

Understanding Children’s Drawings as Sociomaterial Assemblages of Voice during Pandemic Times

“…In line with previous research by Ward (2018) and Ahmad (2018), we addressed the gap in the literature regarding the role of nature in children's learning (Moula et al, 2021). Students reflected their love for outdoor play through their drawings.…”

“…Drawing is both a noun, a picture someone has drawn, and a verb, the act of drawing that thing (Sunday, 2018). Children's drawings are important for both the agency of children, in creating a piece of artwork, and children's voice, enabling them to express feelings or emotions that may be difficult for them to verbalize (Moula et al, 2021). Drawing can also help children to observe things they might never have noticed otherwise (Sunday, 2018).…”

“…As demonstrated by Freud, through his use of drawings in psychoanalysis, children's drawings enable us to gain insight into their mental health and emotional state, including what they like and dislike about different topics (Ahmad, 2018). Drawings can elicit deep, subconscious aspects of knowing that cannot be drawn out in conversation (Maxwell, 2015;Moula et al, 2021).…”

“…Harrison et al (2007), seeking to understand teacher-student relationships from the student's perspective, conducted a 30-minute interview with each student, discussing their feelings about themselves, their school and their teachers, before requesting that the student draw a picture of themselves and their teacher at school. Moula et al (2021) first asked children to draw pictures of their "happy places," and then facilitated a discussion about the concept of well-being. They used this order, with drawing preceding discussion, so as not to interfere with subconscious or unexpected ideas that might manifest in the drawings.…”

Bienestar y tiempo libre de niños y niñas a través de un mapeo fotográfico participativo

“…No obstante, a nivel internacional, una línea de investigación reciente ha reconocido la importancia de la incorporación de metodologías cualitativas (Fattore, Mason, & Watson, 2017), situando los ámbitos del bienestar. Desde esta línea, hay acuerdo en considerar que el bienestar de niños/as se vincula con sus percepciones acerca de sí mismos y de las relaciones en los espacios familiares, en la escuela y en su barrio (Crivello, Camfield, & Woodhead, 2009;Fattore, Fegter, & Hunner-Kreisel, 2019;Fattore, Mason, & Watson, 2007;Moula, Walshe, & Lee, 2021). En estos estudios los equipos de investigación adultos se han centrado en ámbitos escolares, desestimando las experiencias de niños/as en su entorno familiar y más aún en lo residencial.…”