This study observed young children''s outdoor play behaviors and analyzed their general behavior tendencies and the rough-tumble play types seen in their outdoor plays. Besides, the study investigated the relationships among rough-tumble play, young children''s leadership and self-regulation ability. Through this study, the researcher intends to focus on the educational aspect of rough-tumble play and to identify what relationships there are between the young children''s leadership and the self-regulation ability.
The target of a randomly selected class consisting of 5 years old children in S Nursery Center located in the city G, and total 27 young children (13 boys, 14 girls) participated in this study.
In order to observe the young children''s outdoor play behavior types, this study used the outdoor play behaviors classification criteria having developed in Lee Si-Ja and Lim Myung-Hee(1998), and in order to analyze their rough-tumble play types, this study used Kim Myung-Hee(2006)''s observation tool, which had corrected and complemented by adding the Lee Sook Jae(1998) having corrected and complemented on the basis of Smith & Boulton(1990)''s rough-tumble play observation scope and Humphreys & Smith(1987)''s rough-tumble play''s start and end, and Smith(1973).
And, in order to measure the young children''s leadership, this study used the young children''s leadership test criteria for teachers'' developed by Jang Yeong Sook and Hwang Yoon Sae(2009) in tact. As the test tool for measuring the young children''s self-regulation ability, this study used Lee Hak Seon(2007)s''s test criteria, which was corrected as the evaluation questions for teachers from Lee Jeong Ran & Yang Ok Seung(2003)''s Young Childhood Self-Regulation Test Tool for Parent.
On the basis of corrected data, this study analyzed the young children''s outdoor play behavior types, and calculated each rough-tumble play type''s frequency rate seen in the young children''s outdoor plays. And in order to investigate the relationship among rough-tumble play, young children''s leadership and self-regulation ability, this study calculated Pearson''s product moment correlation coefficient.

The results of this study are summarized as follows.
First, in terms of general tendencies of outdoor plays, the rough-tumble play type was seen the most frequently. And the order of play types seen more frequently following after the rough-tumble play were the passive social activity, the role play, the game, the passive non-social activity, the progressive activity without movement, the object play, the movement play and others in order.
Concerning the young children''s rough-tumble play frequency seen in outdoor plays, the run away and catch behavior was the most frequently observed. The type of play behavior is fallen into a subcategory of chase play under the larger category of rough-tumble play, and shows a strong characteristic as a mutually enjoying play, not damaging or bullying each other. The children run away and chase each other with smiling, or set a tagger and replace a caught child into a new tagger through their interaction.
Second, this study found that there was a positive correlation between young children''s rough-tumble play frequency and the leadership. The all lower variables of young children''s leadership, the challenge and the confidence, the respect to others, the self-behavior control, and the problem solution ability showed somewhat high positive correlations. From this result, it could know that young children frequently playing rough-tumble plays suggested their opinions to peers, actively participate in such type of plays, and led the plays caring peers.
It was found that the young children''s rough-tumble play frequency and their self-regulation ability were in generally positive correlation. However, in terms of self-decision as a low variable, their correlation was somewhat high, but other low variables like self-evaluation, behavior-restraint, and the emotionality didn''t have any significant correlation. That can be interpreted as the initiative concept progressively suggesting and leading an activity or a play in peer groups and effectively his/her opinion from the same context with the young children''s leadership.
Conclusionally, the rough-tumble of outdoor play types play shows some positive correlation with the leadership and the self-regulation ability, so it is required for teachers to recognize the educational values of rough-tumble play and to appropriately guide and observe young children so that rough-tumble plays can be actively done in an outdoor play environment.