FREE PLAY USE OF SPACE BY PRESCHOOLERS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS - FACTORS INFLUENCING ACTIVITY CHOICES

Analyses were made of the location and quality of free play of 244 3- to Ei-year-olds from 6 different preschool and day-care centers. Altho ugh socioeconomic status and ethnicity were confounded with amount of space and the range of choices available, 13 play sites/activities cou ld account for at least half the children's time in every center. Ther e was no simple relation between the amount of space allocated to a se tting and the proportion of time that the children used it. Patterns o f use varied as a function of weather-related accessibility in spaciou s facilities. Differences across samples drawn from the same SES/ethni c pool indicated that the particular make-up of a group (the ''cohort' ') in the same physical context can affect specific patterns of usage. Among children drawn from all 6 centers, there were sex differences i n time spent in 5 of 9 common play sites. Moreover, across centers and a broader spectrum of areas, certain play sites consistently yielded different patterns of social exchanges with peers and adults.