This master's thesis examines the attitudes of preschool teachers toward forest play in comparison with play on kindergarten playgrounds. It is based on the premise that the natural environment represents an important learning setting for the holistic development of children, while its integration into educational practice depends on teachers' professional attitudes, their experience, as well as organizational and spatial conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate how preschool teachers evaluate forest play and playground play and to determine whether their attitudes are related to years of teaching experience, the frequency of forest visits, and the distance between the kindergarten and the nearest forest.
The study employed a quantitative research approach complemented by a qualitative analysis of open-ended responses. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to Slovenian preschool teachers. Non-parametric statistical methods were used for the quantitative analysis, while the open-ended responses were analysed using thematic analysis.
The findings indicate that teachers attribute significant developmental value to forest play, particularly in fostering scientific literacy, creativity, children's independence, self-confidence, and motor development. Years of professional experience were generally not found to be a significant factor influencing teachers' attitudes. Likewise, more frequent visits to the forest were not associated with more positive attitudes across all domains, but were primarily linked to a stronger recognition of the forest's contribution to children's independence and self-confidence. The most significant finding was a statistically significant relationship between the distance of the kindergarten from the forest and the frequency of forest visits: kindergartens located closer to forests incorporated forest-based activities into their educational practice more frequently.
The findings confirm that the integration of forests into preschool education depends not only on teachers' positive attitudes but also on specific spatial and organizational conditions. The study contributes to a better understanding of the factors influencing the inclusion of natural environments in preschool education and provides a basis for the further development of forest pedagogy and the creation of stimulating learning environments in Slovenian kindergartens.
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