The purpose of this case study was to explore the experiences of children
at a community recreation program for children of low socioeconomic status
(SES) using place attachment as the conceptual framework. Place attachment is a
framework that allows for an exploration of children’s experiences in regards to
their bonding to a place and the role that social relationships play in the
attachment process (Low & Altman, 1992). Seven children took part in semistructured
interviews and drawing activities. Additional data were collected using
observations, field and reflective notes, documents, and a focus group interview
with staff. One overarching theme of having opportunities emerged from the
thematic analysis of the data. The children talked about having opportunities in
three main ways: (a) opportunities to do, (b) opportunities to connect, and (c)
opportunities to be. The results are discussed within the framework of place
attachment and the literature on out-of-school programming and SES.