The study examined the experiences in the physical and social outdoor environment of low-income Chicano children living in an urban barrio, an urban housing project, and a rural setting. Subjects were 3 to 12 years of age, of any ethnic group, and of both sexes. Infants (those younger than 3 years) and adults (those older than 12 years) were coded only if their presence was related to the Chicano children's behavior. Data were collected in all three sites during the fall, winter, spring, and summer, each day of the week, and at two time intervals: early afternoon, 1:00-3:00; and late afternoon, 3:30-5:00. Three methods of coding naturalistic observations were used: the Behavioral Observation Instrument (BOI) gathered information on types of behavior exhibited by children, the settings in which these behaviors occurred, and the props used; the occupational mapping (OM) provided information on the movement and occupational patterns of children and adults in the outdoor environment; and the Social Interaction Observation Instrument (SIOI) provided data on the interaction of groups of two to four individuals. Observers walked through the neighborhoods according to an established route, recording information into a tape recorder. Findings included: the social language used in the urban barrio was English in 4 out of 5 interactions, 14.4% used Spanish, and 5.6% used a mixture of both languages; and showing, sharing, and cooperating or paying attention to other's behavior were the most observed behaviors. (NQ)