Hvordan tar barn i bruk de mulighetene uterommet kan gi i relasjonsleken? : en observasjonsstudie av hvordan noen barn leker sammen i barnehagens uterom

摘要

In my master thesis I wanted to focus on the outdoor environment of the norweigiankindergarten, and how this room or place can afford play between children. My mainresearch question is: ”How does children make use of the possibilities that theoutdoor room/place can afford in relational play?”To find an answer to this, I have used a fenomenological approach when it comes totheory and method. I am influenced among others by the French philosopher MauriceMerleau-Ponty. The term lifeworld and the body as a subject together with theorieson play, relations and place make out the main part of my theory. In addition,hermeneutics and grounded theory are important factors of my method. I base this ontheories developed by Heidegger and Gadamer amongst others.To collect data for my work, I spent two days a week for five weeks in a traditionalkindergarten during their outdoor playtime. I was interacting with the children bothas a participant in their play and as an observer from the outside. To document mydata I used a notebook where I wrote down play observations and thoughts on what Isaw in the everyday life of their playtime. After I had finished my field work, Idecided to use five of the observations I had written down. These observations havemade the platform of what I build my master thesis on.My results are based on the observations I have done and the analyses that came ofthis. I found a few things that stood out and seemed to be important in the children’soutdoor relational play. In short, what I found out was this; the importance ofacknowledging each other, testing their own and others’ boundaries, the choice of aplace out of interest, to create meaning through play and through the use of a place,and to create places not available to everyone. These were all factors that seemedimportant to the children I observed. They used the outdoor environment as a room todo all this. The way they did it varied from child to child, but it was clear to me thatthe outdoor environment afforded play, and the children used this room in a way thatsuitet them. The way I see it, the outdoor environment is a place that children use totheir benefit, so that children of different age and base can share the same experienceand share a common ground and be joined in relational play.