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American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
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Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

 Issue: March 2004

Children’s Drawings of Physical Activity: Implications for Needs Assessment and Programming
Patricia A. Sharpe, Mary L. Greaney, Sherer W. Royce, & Regina M. Fields

Abstract:
This article shows how to explore children’s perceptions of physical activity through content analysis of their artwork. Ninety-one children drew pictures of what they perceived to be “physical activity” and created a slogan for promoting physical activity in their community. Drawing content revealed types of popular activities, gender-related content, health benefits associated with physical activity, and other recurring themes. Variations by gender existed in the types of activities depicted, but no significant gender differences were found for the frequency of competitive versus noncompetitive scenes. The drawings included numerous references to brand names and celebrities. Physical educators and recreation professionals could use this method to conduct an assessment in their settings to guide program planning.

Article category: Assessment