Evaluation of accessibility of kindergarten playgrounds and outdoor green areas in Polish cities

Sport activities and a green environment to spend time in are vitally important for children's health and well-being. In this study, we focused on 353 kindergartens in towns located in eastern Poland (Bia & lstrok;ystok, Lublin, and Rzesz & oacute;w). Only 41% of the kindergartens were located in buildings designed for them. Twenty-five percent of the buildings had large, well-organized recreation grounds on their plots that guarantee proper activities for children among greenery. The situation was much better in the case of public buildings constructed in the 1960s-1970s than in new private ones, mostly located in buildings adopted for kindergartens or on the ground floors of apartment buildings, or ex-single-family houses. Nearly one-third of the kindergartens had no playground and greenery. The results of analysis show that it is necessary to develop a national strategy for planning new kindergartens with green playgrounds, as well as to provide more comprehensive greening subsidy schemes in case of existing education facilities.