This paper describes the application of behavioral mapping centered on the space of a preschool playground. This technique, characteristic of Environmental Psychology, relates the studied behavior to the place where it occurs. A total of 65 children, aged 3 to 5 years old, from a school participated in the study. The planning process involved the definition of 11 behavioral categories. This paper presents part of the results and reveals that children had a preference for certain areas of the space. We discuss the importance of observational studies with easy coding to be implemented in practical interventions in the studied context.
environmental psychology; observation methods; childhood play behavior
