The physical-spatial aspects of environments and their relation to subjectivity and human behavior have been increasingly studied by psychologists. Thus, this study investigated the relationship between playgrounds of two public preschools of Porto Alegre and the interaction of 50 5 to 6 year-old children who were enrolled in these schools. Children were observed at the playgrounds, which presented differences in terms of area (size), density and materials. The interaction states observed were related to types of play and toys used. Results drawn from quantitative analyses showed that children established more associative and parallel interaction states in the large playground, and unoccupied and solitary in the small playground. As for the type of toy, the association of this aspect with the interaction in the large playground was smaller than in the small one. A higher association between interactions and types of play in the small playground was found. The study shows that concerning environmental aspects the large playground favors a variety of interactions states.
Environmental psychology; child interaction; preschool
