Tolu O. OKORUWA

Abstract

Outdoor play should be a right of every child because it enables them to acquire physical and motor skills, gain independence and freedom, while preventing obesity and associated health issues. It is observed, however, that Nigerian children are denied the opportunity for outdoor play, particularly at home. The responsibility, therefore, rests on the school to fill this gap by providing more opportunities for outdoor play for children while in school. This study, therefore, investigates preschool teachers’ perception of the benefits of outdoor play for children’s overall development, and of their roles during children’s outdoor play. It adopted the descriptive survey research design. The sample comprised of 439 pre-primary school teachers who were selected from Abeokuta Metropolis in Ogun State, Nigeria, using stratified and purposive sampling techniques. A self-constructed questionnaire tagged ‘Outdoor Play Teachers’ Questionnaire’ (OPTQ) was used for data collection which had Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.873. The findingsrevealed that most of the respondents had correct perception of the benefits of outdoor play for children even though they had their fears about it. Children mostly played outdoors during break time or at the close of school while children wait for their parents to pick them up. As children played outdoors, teachers believed that their roles include supervision, giving instruction and ensuring that adhere to such instruction. The recommendations include the need to provide opportunities for children’s outdoor play.