Psycial activity in the preschool's outdoor environment : A qualitative study that lifts the educator's view of how the outdoor environment in the preschool affects the children's psysical activity.

Abstract The purpose of the study is to provide knowledge about how the preschool's design of the outdoor playground affects the children's opportunities for physical activity. Five preschool teachers divided into two preschools in a small urban area participated in the study, where semi-structured interviews were used as a method to study the educators' perceptions about what they believe influences the children to move outdoors. In addition to this method, a survey of the preschool’s playground was done. This survey was documented as an sketch, which was used as a discussion basis during the interviews. A socio-cultural perspective has been used as a theoretical basis for making visible-how both psychological and physical tools affect the children's environment. The data has been transcribed and analyzed based on a thematic analysis model. The result shows that the size and surface of the playground, as well as the variety of materials, are central to whether the children are physically active or not. The opportunity for a good local environment is also something that the educator’s value. The educators who participated in the survey consider themselves to have physically active children who rarely need to be stimulated beyond the stimuli they receive in the free play outdoors. The research that supports the study also shows that there are more educators who share the same view of children's movement. I want my research to increase the knowledge how the outdoor environment can motivate movement and be able to inspire educators and principals in the organization of the preschools. One of the conclusions shows that it is through physical and intellectual challenges that children gather experiences that help them to understand the world