An Analysis of pre-school children's perception of schoolyard

Einstein described the environment as "everything that is not me". During early childhood period, environment is very significant for children's development. Schoolyards of preschools, which support the development of children, are places where children access the opportunity to play various outdoor games using different materials. However, it has been observed that the schoolyards of many preschools are not appropriate for children's developmental necessities or they are inadequate to meet the expectations of children. At this point, determining the existing elements in the preschool playgrounds and the elements that children would dream of having is considered important. Thus, the study aimed to examine the similarities and differences between actual schoolyards and schoolyards in children's dreams by making use of their drawings. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.