School Playgrounds for Well-Being

Introduction and aim

Research has highlighted how school playgrounds can impact kids’ social and mental well-being. However, there’s a gap in understanding the exact effects of these spaces on children’s mental health, calling for more comprehensive and evidence-based research.

The aim is to investigate if re- or new-build playgrounds in the schoolyard (build age-appropriate and in accordance with knowledge on what children want) can improve social and mental health in 6-12-year-old children.

The study is an intervention study in five schools – two in the UK and three in Denmark. Systematic observation and survey will be used to measure social interactions, well-being, and enjoyment of activity and play during recess before and after intervention. The follow-up measurement will be conducted 12 months after the baseline measurement.

What we expect

We expect the study to have a direct effect on more children in the target group using the schoolyard with their peers and thus improve children’s physical, social, and mental health.