Forbidden spaces as spaces of possibility: a participatory study with young children in outdoor educational contexts

Abstract

In educational contexts, outdoor spaces are often designed according to adult criteria that define what is appropriate and safe. From a socio-cultural perspective on affordances, these boundaries can be seen as dynamic margins where possibilities for action emerge through the interplay of material features, rules, and practices. This article presents findings from a participatory photovoice study with 44 children aged 3-6 in two preschools in Milan. Results show how children navigate these margins, distinguishing between permitted and prohibited practices while enacting strategies to reinterpret and negotiate limits. Prohibited experiences and transformative proposals emerge as generative contexts, informing the design of outdoor environments more open to negotiation and responsive to children’s agency.