Uneven development of spatial cognitive subskills in primary school children and theoretical implications for differences in play behavior

Outdoor play provides an important context for physical activity and social interaction among primary school children. During play, children with different spatial cognitive abilities often exhibit different behavioral patterns. However, existing research has often overlooked the asynchronous development of spatial cognitive subskills. Consequently, adults tend to use age as a uniform criterion for interpreting children’s play behavior, making it difficult to identify the needs of children with different ability profiles and potentially limiting their participation and quality of experience. This study assessed spatial referencing, the representation of three-dimensional spatial relations, and spatial composition in 462 children in Shenyang, China, using the Silver Drawing Test. Analysis of variance and chi-square tests were used to examine age and sex effects. The results revealed divergent age-related patterns across components of spatial referencing, progressive improvement in three-dimensional representation, and relatively stable spatial composition performance. Sex also interacted with task type. These findings suggest that children’s spatial cognition comprises multiple components that develop unevenly, rather than a single uniformly developing construct. The study offers a cognitive account of differences in children’s play behavior and has implications for play-based early education, curricula supporting the transition from preschool to primary school, and the design of play environments.