Volume 35 Number 1 2025 A journal of research, policy and applications Children, Youth and Environments Network University of Cincinnati Children, Youth and Environments EISSN: 15462250 Published by and © University of Cincinnati i EDITORS: Dr. Victoria Carr and Dr. Rhonda Brown, University of Cincinnati MANAGING EDITOR: Dr. Leslie Kochanowski, University of Cincinnati EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Claire Underwood, University of Cincinnati FIELD REPORT EDITORS: Dr. Sue Elliott, University of New England and Dr. Daniela DiGiacomo, University of Kentucky BOOK+MEDIA EDITORS: Dr. Catherine Volpe, University of New England and Dr. Ozlemnur Ataol, the University of Groningen SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Dr. Ann Rossmiller, University of Cincinnati COPY EDITOR: Dr. Jennifer Steffel Johnson, University of Colorado ADVISORY BOARD: Louise Chawla, University of Colorado; Victoria Derr, California State University Monterey Bay; Roger Hart, City University of New York; Lynn Liben, Pennsylvania State University; Vikas Mehta, University of Cincinnati; Robin Moore, North Carolina State University; Willem van Vliet, University of Colorado. EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD: Nicole Ardoin, Stanford University, USA; Mark Blades, University of Sheffield, UK; Sudeshna Chatterjee, Action for Children’s Environments, India; Debra Cushing, Queensland University of Technology, Australia; Janet Dyment, University of Tasmania, Australia; Ingunn Fjørtoft, University of South-Eastern Norway; Claire Freeman, University of Otago, New Zealand; Enakshi Ganguly, HAQ Centre for Child Rights, India; Jorgelina Hardoy, Int’l Institute for Environment & Development, Argentina; Laurie Harmon, University of Wisconsin, USA; Harry Heft, Denison University, USA; Lia Karsten, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands; Isami Kinoshita, Chiba University, Japan; Angela Kreutz, Deakin University, Australia; Kevin Lalor, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland; Jill Litt, University of Colorado, USA; Janet Loebach, Cornell University, USA; Laura Malinin, Colorado State University, USA; Lorraine E. Maxwell, Cornell University, USA; John Holland McKendrick, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK; Barry Percy-Smith, University of Huddersfield, UK; Edith Phaswana, Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute UNISA, South Africa; Gina Porter, Durham University, UK; Sharon Ergetta Sutton, Parsons The New School, USA; Julia Torquati, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA The Children, Youth and Environments journal disseminates knowledge and stimulates discussion in support of inclusive and sustainable environments for children and youth everywhere. CYE has a global community and connects the worlds of research, policy and practice. The CYE journal is a peer- reviewed, multi-disciplinary, online journal, highlighting the physical environments where children and youth live, learn, work and play. The journal values the capacity of children and young people to meaningfully participate in the processes that shape their lives, and publishes papers from distinct viewpoints, varied approaches, and diverse cultures and regions around the world. The journal offers researchers a high-quality, refereed outlet for sharing work pertaining to the physical environments that impact the lives of children and youth around the world. The journal publishes papers in the form of research articles, field reports and book/media reviews ranging from quantitative and qualitative empirical research; theoretical, methodological, and historical investigations; critical literature reviews; design analyses; post-occupancy evaluations; policy studies; and program assessments. Children, Youth and Environments appeared as a print journal from 1984-1995 as Children’s Environments Quarterly and Children’s Environments. In 2003, it was revived as an online journal, which now reaches readers in more than 160 countries. Readers and authors include researchers and practitioners in education, childhood studies, geography, sociology, child and youth development, child welfare, child rights advocacy, development studies, architecture, landscape architecture and design, urban design, and planning. CYE is endorsed by UN-Habitat and guided by a distinguished Editorial Advisory Board. For more information visit https://www.cyenetwork.org Cover image is from the article Nurturing Empathy: Exploring Teachers’ Insights from Minnesota’s Nature Preschools by Claire Underwood, Julie Ernst and Nathan Meyer Acknowledgement of Reviewers in 2024 As editors of Children, Youth and Environments, we count on the informed judgment of our reviewers to make the highest quality research and information available online to scholars and practitioners around the world. In a double-blind review process, a minimum of two experts contribute comments about each paper published in CYE. Their advice is essential to determining whether an article is accepted for publication and invaluable to authors when undertaking revisions. We, therefore, take this opportunity to thank all those https://www.cyenetwork.org/ Children, Youth and Environments EISSN: 15462250 Published by and © University of Cincinnati ii who have acted as reviewers for CYE during the last year for your time, energy and commitment to the journal! The following list reflects reviewers of papers in 2024. — The Editors Veronica Aguinaga, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Fatemeh Aminpour, UNSW Australia; Fitri Arlinkasari, Universitas YARSI; Meredith Banasiak, Boulder Associates Architects; Patty Born, Hamline University; Tiara Brown, James Madison University; Keith Christensen, Utah State University; Kimberly Cole, The Ohio State University; Mathilde Duflos, Université de Tours; Ian Evans, Massey University; Ingunn Fjørtoft, University of South-Eastern Norway; Whitney Gecker, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Alexandra Gkloumpou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Pamela Graham, Northumbria University; Leah Hollstein, The University of Cincinnati; Liisa Horelli, Aalto University; Susan Jagger, Toronto Metropolitan University; Kari Anne Jørgensen-Vittersø, Oslo Metropolitan University; Nicola Kemp, Canterbury Christ Church University; Angela Kreutz, Deakin University; Dana Maurie Lung, Prescott College; Laura Malinin, Colorado State University; Lorraine E Maxwell, Cornell University; Anne Louise Meincke, University of Dundee; Sara Neyer, University of Cincinnati; Rachel Ramsden, University of British Columbia; Saurabh Singhal, Lancaster University Management School; Shidratul Moontaha Suha, Eotvos Lorand University; Pai Tang, Tongji University; Zeynep Tarcin Turgay, Gebze Technical University; Robert Warner, University of Utah; Julie Willis, The University of Melbourne; Martha Zanabria, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco Children, Youth and Environments EISSN: 15462250 Published by and © University of Cincinnati iii Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 35 No. 1 2025 ISSN 1546-2250 Call for Submissions The Children, Youth and Environments Journal is inviting submissions for research articles, field reports, and book/media reviews that contribute to the discourse in the following areas: • Quantitative and qualitative empirical research • Theoretical, methodological, and historical investigations • Critical literature reviews • Design analyses • Post-occupancy evaluations • Policy studies • Program assessments For more information about submission guidelines and processes, please visit the CYE submission page. For all additional questions, please contact cyenetwork@gmail.com. We’re excited to read your work! Call for Field Reports Do you have an engaging new project or program you would like to share more widely? Would you like to write a report or story about it for CYE? CYE offers an opportunity to publish brief (3000 words) Field Reports about initiatives around environments for children and youth. This call is for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, community leaders and others involved in creating projects or programs with children and youth to share insights about their work. A field report tells a real-life story about a specific program or project initiative, that links children and youth to a particular setting or environment in a reflective and informative way. It includes contextual information such as location and participants, a rich description of the initiative from the perspective of those involved and concisely situates the initiative within a theoretical framework. The overall aim is to provide our readers with enough information so that they could develop a similar program or project and benefit from your experience and insights. Note: Field Reports are not peer-reviewed in the same manner as articles, but undergo an in-house review by the CYE Associate Editors who manage Field Reports. They will provide helpful feedback and support for Field Report authors through to CYE publication. More information is available here: CYE Field Report Guidelines. We look forward to hearing from potential Field Report authors in the coming year, Dr. Daniela DiGiacomo and Dr. Sue Elliott CYE Associate Editors Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 35 No. 1 2025 ISSN 1546-2250 Inside this Issue https://www.cyenetwork.org/submit http://cyenetwork@gmail.com/ https://www.cyenetwork.org/_files/ugd/356584_6e1d105f9e6348e6a1b052306bee6d3d.pdf https://journals.uc.edu/index.php/cye/libraryFiles/downloadPublic/6 mailto:daniela.digiacomo@uky.edu mailto:Sue.elliott@une.edu.au Children, Youth and Environments EISSN: 15462250 Published by and © University of Cincinnati iv Inside this issue, you will find diverse scholarly work that spans across the globe. We first arrive in the midwestern region of the United States where Underwood and coauthors interviewed teachers to explore how nature preschools foster empathy development in young children. By focusing on teachers' experiences, they were able to create a conceptual model highlighting the role of the natural environment, school culture, and teachers in nurturing empathy in children. Next, Jones analyzed participant-created digital stories and interviews about garden programs at U.S. secondary schools to evaluate themes in environment, instruction, assessment, and professional learning. Findings revealed there are common themes like building relationships and student leadership and suggested that stakeholders could benefit from garden-based education resources focused on justice and cultural sustainability. Heading west to Texas, Trina and coauthors studied a nature-based preschool in Texas to test if outdoor environments with appropriate landscape elements encourage STEAM-related behaviors in children aged 3-5. They found that children engage in more STEAM activities in settings with flexible features like sand and water play areas, loose parts, and varied natural topography. Staying in Texas, Guerrero and co-authors conducted an online survey of early childhood educators to explore their views on outdoor play settings and their design features that various forms of play. The analysis of quantitative and qualitative data informs practical implications for architects and early childhood centers to design environments that intentionally foster these types of play. Heading back east, Moore and coauthors examined horse camp experiences of historically underserved youth (ages 9-18) through letters written to their assigned horses and interviews with riding instructors. The analyses revealed that the program helped participants develop positive relationship skills such as respect, responsibility, discipline, and social connections, providing valuable opportunities for socio-emotional growth through interactions with horses. Spanning across the United States, Iwinski and coauthors analyzed data from 468 families in a longitudinal birth cohort study and found that early access to green space and outdoor items positively influences children's cognitive development and household environment. They emphasized the importance of promoting green spaces and reducing household chaos to support executive function and well-being, with implications for education and policy. The issue continues with two reports from the field. First, Derr and coauthors describe a partnership between a land trust, elementary school, and university in California, focused on fostering empathic relationships for children with limited access to nature. Using an action research framework, the partnership co-creates, co-learns, and documents "magical moments" of joy and connection with the land and each other. Next, Reyes and share an initiative in Santa Ana Chiautempan, Mexico, where "play yards" were created to promote free play and recover public space for recreation. The evaluation, based on surveys and field observations, showed the initiative's positive impact on children's holistic development. We wrap this issue with two book reviews: Thueneman’s review of The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain by Annie Murphy Paul and Wilson’s review of The Nature of Inclusive Play by Amy Wagenfeld and Chad Kennedy. Happy reading! Children, Youth and Environments EISSN: 15462250 Published by and © University of Cincinnati v Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 35 No. 1 2025 ISSN 1546-2250 Table of Contents Articles Nurturing Empathy: Exploring Teachers’ Insights from Minnesota’s Nature Preschools Claire Underwood, Julie Ernst and Nathan Meyer 1-30 Growing Stronger: Incorporating Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Practices in Garden-Based Education Kimberly J. Jones 31-54 The Role of Landscape Elements in Outdoor Learning Environment Design to Facilitate STEAM Learning in Early Years: A Case Study Approach Nazia Afrin Trina, Muntazar Monsur, Nilda Cosco, Stephanie Shine, Ann Mastergeorge, and Leehu Loon 55-81 Designing for Children’s Social Play Affordances Lori Guerrero, Kristi Gaines, Malinda J. Colwell, Debajyoti Pati, and Charles Klein 82-113 Qualitative Study of Human-Equine Interaction for Historically Underserved Youth Alexis P. Moore, Suzanne Meeks, Lesley M. Harris, Rachel Ricks, Unurzaya Amarsaikhan, Doroty Sato, Elizabeth Cash, Alexandra Cowand, Noah B. Clark, Sandra E. Sephton, and David M. Simpson 114-140 Growing Minds: The Role of Family Residence Green Spaces and Household Chaos on Children’s Executive Function Samantha J. Iwinski, Sehyun Ju, Ledan Yang, Mayra Cuevas, Aaron Ebata, Dina Izenstark, Brent McBride, and Kelly K. Bost 141-173 Reports from the Field Centering Empathic Relations and Co-Learning in an Outdoor Education Partnership: “I Know Carneros Creek Loves Me Because…” Victoria Derr, Juan Ramirez, Nicole Therese Bonello, and Madison Moreno 174-188 Play Yards and Their Contribution to Comprehensive Child Development José Manuel Reyes, Sr. and P. Eduardo Lugo, Sr. 189-200 Book Reviews The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain, by Annie Murphy Paul Reviewed by Kelsey Downie Thueneman 201-204 The Nature of Inclusive Play, by Amy Wagenfeld and Chad Kennedy Reviewed by Ruth Wilson 205-206