English (UK) 
Introduction
Active outdoor play is essential to children’s physical health, emotional well-being, and social development. Yet, many children growing up in underserved communities have limited opportunities to play outside due to a range of socio-economic barriers.
The B-Challenged project addresses this challenge by combining child-centred participatory action research with methods from systems dynamics to co-create interventions that promote active outdoor play for and with children.
The project directly involves children as co-researchers and co-designers and operates across five European countries: Denmark, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands.
At its core, B-Challenged is guided by the principle that children are experts in their own experiences and key partners in shaping healthier, more active communities.
Children exploring their own world
In Denmark, the B-Challenged project is taking place at a public school, where approx. 55 fourth-graders (ages 9-10) are directly involved in shaping the work.
From January to April, the children participated in 14 sessions during school hours as part of the project’s first phase. Their task was to explore what helps and what hinders outdoor play in their everyday lives. Acting as co-researchers, the children used different methods–including interviews, questionnaires, mapping, photovoice, and go-along walks–to gather insights from themselves, peers, and parents.
To mark the end of phase one, the children invited their families to an event where they shared their findings and explained the methods they had used. They took the lead in hosting the event, welcoming guests, and using self-made posters, podcasts, and videos to demonstrate what co-creation looks like in practice.
A second phase will begin this autumn, where the focus will shift from identifying challenges to designing and testing real-world actions. This time, the children will take on the role of co-designers, building on what they have learned to help shape meaningful and practical changes in their school and local environment.
Listening leads to lasting change
One of the biggest lessons from our project so far is the value of truly listening to children. They are the experts in their own lives, and the only ones who can fully describe what supports or limits their opportunities for outdoor play. When children are taken seriously as co-researchers, it not only enriches the process but also empowers them to speak up, take ownership, and make a difference in their communities.
We have experienced this first-hand in our work here in Denmark. Over time, the children’s confidence has grown, standing proudly in front of an audience and presenting their ideas and opinions on outdoor play. Being involved in the research has strengthened their sense of self-efficacy and shown them that their voices matter.
Lessons learned from working with children
Time is an important resource when children are to act as co-researchers. First of all, it takes time to build trust between children and researchers, which is essential to create an environment where honest stories and ideas can emerge.
Second of all, this co-creation project requires the use of multiple research methods to capture the full picture. Each child experiences their world differently, so combining tools brings out a wider range of voices in relation to children’s outdoor play (or lack thereof).
In the end, the process is just as important as the findings, and co-creation not only provides us, as researchers, with insights from the true experts in outdoor play but also empowers those children to take ownership and drive meaningful change.
As part of the World Playground Research Institute, Charlotte Skau Pawlowski leads the Danish segment of B-Challenged. The project is funded by ERA4Health and Innovation Fund Denmark.
