Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the role of play space for toddlers by focusing on the staying and ymoving behaviors of a 2-3-year-old girl in a 2-year-olds class at a nursery school. A total of 140 observation data samples were obtained during a study preod of 21 months; each samplecase was qualitatively analyzed by the episode method and SCAT (Steps for Coding and Theorization) analysis. Analysis of the longitudinal data revealed that the girl tended to stay in one play space and repeatedly explored new features of the space. In addition, she was repeatedly moving around different play spaces with other children, suggesting that moving behavior itself was her purpose and she created a new feature at each play space to realize her own story.
