Heidi Little
Biographic Data
| ID | 738648 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Heidi Little |
| GIVEN NAMES | Heidi |
| FAMILY NAME | Little |
| SIGNATURE | LITTLE H |
| AFFILIATIONS | Macquarie University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2376-2601 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 10 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 10 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 10 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Risky Play Is Not a Dirty Word: A Tool to Measure Benefit–Risk in Outdoor Playgrounds and Educational Settings
Challenge, adventure, and risky play have repeatedly been found to be learning environments that positively shape childhood well-being and development. Extant evidence-based research conveys the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional growth associated with risky play provision. However, understanding the interplay of risky play, injury, and safety is more nuanced and complex. The goal of this paper is to introduce a tool which allows educators,…
How do Play Streets impact the psychosocial health of participants, organisers, and communities? A mixed-methods evaluation of Play Streets held in South Australia
Australian adults are experiencing a reduction in community connectedness, and loneliness across all age groups is increasing. A Play Street is a simple concept whereby quiet residential streets are temporarily opened primarily to promote play among children, but they also provide an opportunity for parents and adult community members to connect and socialise. This study aimed to explore the use of Play Streets in generating social connectedness …
Exploring toddlers’ rituals of ‘belonging’ through risky play in the outdoor environment
The notion of ‘belonging’ is a core component of many early childhood curriculum frameworks and recognises the importance of children’s sociocultural context for their self-identity and well-being. Children’s risk-taking in play has also been the focus of contemporary research in examining its beneficial role for children’s physical, social and emotional development. This study applies diverse disciplinary and theoretical lenses, including Hedega…
Outdoor Time, Space, and Restrictions Imposed on Children’s Play in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Settings during the Covid Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey from Educators’ Perspecti…
The study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on children's access to the outdoors in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. An online survey comprised of a standardised scale and questions used in previous related studies was completed by 143 early childhood educators across Australia. Participants were asked to report children's time spent outdoors, access to outdoor space, and restrictions imposed on children'…
Navigating Neighbourhood Opposition and Climate Change: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Play Street Pilot in Sydney, Australia
This pilot demonstrated that Play Streets are a feasible and acceptable way to use streets as outdoor recreation spaces in Sydney's Inner West. The evaluation highlights two elements for future sustainability: managing neighbourhood opposition and adapting to climate change
“It’s about Taking the Risk”: Exploring Toddlers’ Risky Play in a Redesigned Outdoor Space
Physically challenging, risky play is a natural part of children’s outdoor play behaviour, yet risky play is often limited by the environmental affordances as well as educators’ reluctance to allow this type of play due to safety concerns. This case study explored the influence of the redesign of the outdoor environment on 18–26-month-old children’s play behaviours and their educators’ attitudes and responses to the children’s risky play. Video r…
This is a Learning Opportunity”: How Parent–Child Interactions and Exhibit Design Foster the Museum Learning of Prior-to-School Aged Children
Recent research indicates that museums hold great potential for children’s engagement and learning. To date, most research has either focused on school-aged children or young children’s independent learning engagement and, as a result, little research has investigated how museum spaces may foster and enhance the interactive learning of families with prior-to-school-age children. The current study sought to investigate which features of museum spa…
Promoting risk-taking and physically challenging play in Australian early childhood settings in a changing regulatory environment
This article presents data from a survey of Early Childhood Education and Care services in Australia. The study investigated outdoor play provision in terms of space, resources and planning for risk-taking in play. Overall, the results indicate that the participating centres are well-resourced to promote physical play, but vary in terms of opportunities for risk-taking in play. Although the majority of respondents believed their centres’ environm…
Quantifying the referential function of general extenders in North American English
Discourse markers (like, I don't know, etc.) are known to vary in frequency across English dialects and speech settings. It is difficult to make meaningful generalizations over these differences, since quantitative discourse-pragmatic variation studies 'lack [a] coherent set of methodological principles' (Pichler 2010:582). This has often constrained quantitative studies to focus on the form, rather than the function of discourse-pragmatic featur…
Relationship between parents’ beliefs and their responses to children’s risk-taking behaviour during outdoor play
Learning how to respond appropriately in risk situations comes not only from the child’s direct experiences but also through the guidance of those around them. The role of parent practices in guiding children’s decision-making in risky situations has mainly been investigated in experimental contexts. The present study examined children’s risk-taking behaviour and parent responses in everyday outdoor play settings. Parents’ own risk-taking beliefs…
Quantifying the referential function of general extenders in North American English
Discourse markers (like, I don't know, etc.) are known to vary in frequency across English dialects and speech settings. It is difficult to make meaningful generalizations over these differences, since quantitative discourse-pragmatic variation studies 'lack [a] coherent set of methodological principles' (Pichler 2010:582). This has often constrained quantitative studies to focus on the form, rather than the function of discourse-pragmatic featur…
Relationship between parents’ beliefs and their responses to children’s risk-taking behaviour during outdoor play
Learning how to respond appropriately in risk situations comes not only from the child’s direct experiences but also through the guidance of those around them. The role of parent practices in guiding children’s decision-making in risky situations has mainly been investigated in experimental contexts. The present study examined children’s risk-taking behaviour and parent responses in everyday outdoor play settings. Parents’ own risk-taking beliefs…
Relationship between parents’ beliefs and their responses to children’s risk-taking behaviour during outdoor play
Learning how to respond appropriately in risk situations comes not only from the child’s direct experiences but also through the guidance of those around them. The role of parent practices in guiding children’s decision-making in risky situations has mainly been investigated in experimental contexts. The present study examined children’s risk-taking behaviour and parent responses in everyday outdoor play settings. Parents’ own risk-taking beliefs…
Promoting risk-taking and physically challenging play in Australian early childhood settings in a changing regulatory environment
This article presents data from a survey of Early Childhood Education and Care services in Australia. The study investigated outdoor play provision in terms of space, resources and planning for risk-taking in play. Overall, the results indicate that the participating centres are well-resourced to promote physical play, but vary in terms of opportunities for risk-taking in play. Although the majority of respondents believed their centres’ environm…
Quantifying the referential function of general extenders in North American English
Discourse markers (like, I don't know, etc.) are known to vary in frequency across English dialects and speech settings. It is difficult to make meaningful generalizations over these differences, since quantitative discourse-pragmatic variation studies 'lack [a] coherent set of methodological principles' (Pichler 2010:582). This has often constrained quantitative studies to focus on the form, rather than the function of discourse-pragmatic featur…
This is a Learning Opportunity”: How Parent–Child Interactions and Exhibit Design Foster the Museum Learning of Prior-to-School Aged Children
Recent research indicates that museums hold great potential for children’s engagement and learning. To date, most research has either focused on school-aged children or young children’s independent learning engagement and, as a result, little research has investigated how museum spaces may foster and enhance the interactive learning of families with prior-to-school-age children. The current study sought to investigate which features of museum spa…
“It’s about Taking the Risk”: Exploring Toddlers’ Risky Play in a Redesigned Outdoor Space
Physically challenging, risky play is a natural part of children’s outdoor play behaviour, yet risky play is often limited by the environmental affordances as well as educators’ reluctance to allow this type of play due to safety concerns. This case study explored the influence of the redesign of the outdoor environment on 18–26-month-old children’s play behaviours and their educators’ attitudes and responses to the children’s risky play. Video r…
Exploring toddlers’ rituals of ‘belonging’ through risky play in the outdoor environment
The notion of ‘belonging’ is a core component of many early childhood curriculum frameworks and recognises the importance of children’s sociocultural context for their self-identity and well-being. Children’s risk-taking in play has also been the focus of contemporary research in examining its beneficial role for children’s physical, social and emotional development. This study applies diverse disciplinary and theoretical lenses, including Hedega…
Outdoor Time, Space, and Restrictions Imposed on Children’s Play in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Settings during the Covid Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey from Educators’ Perspecti…
The study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on children's access to the outdoors in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. An online survey comprised of a standardised scale and questions used in previous related studies was completed by 143 early childhood educators across Australia. Participants were asked to report children's time spent outdoors, access to outdoor space, and restrictions imposed on children'…
Navigating Neighbourhood Opposition and Climate Change: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Play Street Pilot in Sydney, Australia
This pilot demonstrated that Play Streets are a feasible and acceptable way to use streets as outdoor recreation spaces in Sydney's Inner West. The evaluation highlights two elements for future sustainability: managing neighbourhood opposition and adapting to climate change
Risky Play Is Not a Dirty Word: A Tool to Measure Benefit–Risk in Outdoor Playgrounds and Educational Settings
Challenge, adventure, and risky play have repeatedly been found to be learning environments that positively shape childhood well-being and development. Extant evidence-based research conveys the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional growth associated with risky play provision. However, understanding the interplay of risky play, injury, and safety is more nuanced and complex. The goal of this paper is to introduce a tool which allows educators,…
How do Play Streets impact the psychosocial health of participants, organisers, and communities? A mixed-methods evaluation of Play Streets held in South Australia
Australian adults are experiencing a reduction in community connectedness, and loneliness across all age groups is increasing. A Play Street is a simple concept whereby quiet residential streets are temporarily opened primarily to promote play among children, but they also provide an opportunity for parents and adult community members to connect and socialise. This study aimed to explore the use of Play Streets in generating social connectedness …
Psychology (9 works) · Developmental psychology (5 works) · Children's Rights and Participation (4 works) · Computer Science (4 works) · Geography (4 works) · Medicine (4 works) · Outdoor and Experiential Education (4 works) · Social Psychology (4 works) · Sociology (4 works) · Urban Green Space and Health (4 works)