Interactive playgrounds and children’s outdoor play behavior: children’s perspectives

This paper provides an in-depth understanding of children’s perspectives toward playing on three interactive playgrounds located in a schoolyard in Enschede, a city located in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the Twente region. The COM-B model of behavior change is used to explore children’s perspectives. This model defines behavior as the result of an interaction between three components that generate behavior: Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation. The perceptions and experiences of 27 children aged 8 to 12 from playing on these interactive playgrounds are investigated through go-along group interviews and focus group discussions. Based on our findings, we list key issues and general recommendations for designing interactive playgrounds for children’s outdoor play based on children’s perspectives. These key issues and recommendations are beneficial for practitioners, and in particular, interactive designers who develop interactive playgrounds that stimulate children’s outdoor play behavior.