Snow-child interactions during the winter season in a temperate zone: Czech Republic

Abstract

The presence of children in outdoor activities has been continuously declining in recent years, which negatively impacts their mental and physical health. Research has highlighted the positive effects of nature interactions on children's manual skills, socialization, and overall well-being. However, most studies have focused on regions with stable winter snow or warm regions without snow. In this study, drawing on affordance theory, both children and snow are considered as agents to examine child-snow interactions. Data were collected during the 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020 winter seasons, utilizing covert observation as the primary research method. The findings demonstrate that children's presence and interactions varied with the seasons, highlighting the influence of snow on public spaces and how its temporality attracts and motivates children to previously unoccupied areas.