What should playgrounds for young children be like? Do those design suggestions that have appeared in the contemporary literature make a difference? What design factors seem to influence preschool children's behaviors on playgrounds? These questions are addressed by an analysis of recent research and design suggestions, and an observational study of preschool children's free play in six outdoor playgrounds. Results indicated that on the whole, playgrounds with more contemporary designs did not necessarily promote greater amounts of educationally desirable social, language, or motor behaviors. There were differences in children's behaviors on various playgrounds, but not strictly according to the extent to which they reflected contemporary design suggestions. The most important design characteristics seemed to be: (1) zoning, (2) encapsulation, and (3) the provision of appropriate materials (vehicles appeared to be extremely valuable).
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