Enhancing pay quality: Development of a physical environment rating scale for children's folk games in chinese neighborhoods

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale for evaluating the
physical environment of children’s folk games in Chinese neighborhoods,
emphasizing that modern residential environments should be designed to
accommodate folk games, thereby ensuring their sustainable development.
Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with parents, and
thematic analysis was used to identify folk games’ names and environmental
characteristics. This was followed by an assessment of content validity
and a pilot study to refine the scale’s items and dimensions.
 Finally, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate
the scale’s reliability and validity by data collected from 434 urban
parents with children aged 3 to 12 to establish the scale’s structure. The
analysis identified a three-factor scale consisting of Usable Natural
Elements, Flexible Planar Arrangements, and Usable Boundaries, each with
three to five measurement items. The scale demonstrated robust fit indices
(χ²/df = 1.823, RMSEA = 0.044, SRMR = 0.034, CFI = 0.979, IFI = 0.979, NFI
= 0.954). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for these factors were 0.844,
0.837, and 0.854, respectively. The Children’s Folk Games Physical
Environment Rating Scale (CFGS) provides an effective tool for
understanding perceptions of folk game environments. It offers practical
guidance for designing more engaging play folk game spaces. Future
research should explore the scale’s applicability across different
cultural contexts and deal with the diversified adaptability of children’s
folk game behaviors.