From Drawn Elements to Potential Spatial Affordances: A Drawing-Based Study of Children’s Preferred Play Spaces in Tangshan, China

Children’s perspectives are important for designing play environments that respond to their needs, yet evidence on how children represent preferred play spaces remains limited. This study examined drawings produced by 100 children aged 5–12 years in Tangshan, China, using a child-centered coding framework that distinguished physical elements, depicted activities, and potential spatial affordances. The coding framework comprised 23 physical-element categories, 11 activity-coding categories, and seven potential spatial affordance categories. Prospect (91%), social interaction (90%), physical challenge (82%), and nature interaction (75%) were the most frequently identified potential spatial affordances, followed by exploration (44%), shelter or concealment (42%), and construction or creative affordance (13%). Exploratory comparisons identified no statistically significant age- or gender-related differences after correction for multiple comparisons, and the principal affordance pattern remained unchanged in a sensitivity analysis excluding children aged 5–6 years. The findings show that children’s representations of preferred play spaces extend beyond individual facilities to encompass multiple opportunities for action and experience. Interpreted through evolutionary psychology as a theoretical lens, these patterns are consistent with established accounts of nature affiliation, social cooperation, risk management, prospect and refuge, and exploration. The findings support an affordance-oriented approach to child-centered play-space design that integrates natural elements, spatial diversity, social opportunities, physical challenge, exploration, and retreat.