The Politics of Play in England: An Appeal to the Houses of Parliament

Abstract

This chapter reports the work of a group of English play scholars who took the case for playful learning in educational settings for young children to the Houses of Parliament, London, in 2008. The chapter aims to show how, within policy, play remains rooted in a moribund political-policy history that privileges adults as ‘constructors of play experiences’. However, on a more optimistic note, it shows how ‘little victories’ might have repercussions in the ongoing sociopolitical play debates to privilege children as active orchestrators of their own playful learning experiences in educational settings. The chapter also describes the role of an Early Years Children’s Champion.