Place Matters: First Graders’ Places in A Norwegian School

Abstract

This article explores first graders’ experiences of places in a Norwegian school. The article draws on visual ethnography, whereby 15 children photographed places in which they liked to spend time and play. The photo material is supplemented by children’s stories from walking interviews. The study contributes with knowledge about the complexity of first graders’ everyday life in school. Children experience restrictions in their use of places at school. Despite these limitations in how they can inhabit the physical environment, children create their own places for self-initiated activities and play, and develop meaningful relations to these places: children’s places.