Measuring play, nature connection, engagement and wellbeing: a new self−report questionnaire for primary school students

Student wellbeing and school engagement are declining globally, prompting increased interest in nature play as a potential solution. While nature play has been linked to improvements in wellbeing and school engagement, there is limited quantitative research on its impact among students in the foundational years of primary school (5 to 8 year olds), partly due to a lack of age − appropriate self − report instruments. This paper addresses that gap by detailing the development of a questionnaire designed to assess play, connection to nature, school engagement, and wellbeing. The instrument was developed to support a larger Australian study evaluating the impact of a 10 week nature play intervention. The questionnaire draws on established scales, adapted for developmental suitability. Items were organised into domains and reviewed by experts in the field. Following this, a small pilot (N = 5) was conducted to assess item clarity, administration practicality, and age appropriateness. Feedback from participants and a statistician guided iterative refinements. The final instruments, the core Play, Nature, Wellbeing and Engagement (PNEW) questionnaire and the supplementary Play, Nature, Wellbeing and Engagement – Bush School (PNEW − B) tailored to nature play contexts, were subsequently administered to a larger student sample (N = 50). This broader use provided preliminary insights into the instruments’ usability and contextual relevance in an Australian primary school. While further validation is needed to confirm reliability, reduce potential positive bias, and support generalisability across diverse cohorts, the PNEW and PNEW − B offer a promising starting point for capturing young primary students self − reported experiences of play, connection to nature, school engagement, and wellbeing.