Play Activities Research Articles

Standardizing play in the century of the car: the building information cards as shapers of the ideal urban childhood in Finland in the 1960s and 1970s

ABSTRACT Children’s playgrounds became part of the urban planning and evolution of Western cities at the turn of 19th and early 20th centuries. The overall objective was to improve urban children’s well-being and enhance safety by channelling play activities away from city streets towards designated play spaces. This article zooms in on the process of creating recommendations, norms and standards related to playgrounds. The subject under scrutiny is the standardization of childhood in Finland during the 1960s and 1970s, a period characterized by the most intense phases of urbanization, the establishment of welfare state institutions and the evolution of legislation pertaining to children's play spaces as well as vigorous discussions concerning children's environments. These planning discussions, norms and standards have had far-reaching consequences. They are not only prominently evident in today's Finnish cities but have also significantly influenced our contemporary perception of children's place within urban contexts. This study brings a social history approach to the academic discussion of the role of standardization in urban planning. Simultaneously, it examines the development of the increasingly standardized urban childhood in Finland in the 1960s and 1970s and asks what kind of childhood this standardization aimed to promote.

Research on Toy Systems to Develop the Affection and Social Relationships of Preschool Children

Emotions and social relationships are important for the comprehensive development of children. The affection and social relationships of preschool children develop best through play activities, the center of which is the role-playing game. One of the most important tasks to support the development of emotions and social relationships is the need to build a system of toys appropriate for children and suitable for the conditions in each school. Hildren learn to express themselves and listen to others through group activities such as building, playing with dolls, and role-playing games. These activities encourage children to exchange ideas, share, and collaboratively create stories or imaginary scenarios, thus developing their communication and language skills. Through playing together, children learn how to cooperate, share, and resolve conflicts. Group games help children understand patience, compromise, and respect for others' opinions, thereby forming the foundation of healthy social relationships.

Workshop on the Development of Play Activities for Children with ADHD and Autism through Educational Games from Used Goods

This Community Service (PKM) has a mission in the form of the development of science, technology and art which is conveyed through educational materials and good practices to the community about the benefits of playing activities for children with ADHD and Autism through Educational Game Equipment (APE) using used goods. This activity aims to provide creativity stimulation and learning strategies for Raudhatul Athfal (RA) teachers in North Jakarta to be skilled in utilizing used items from the surrounding environment as a learning medium for children's play activities. The implementation of PKM research uses a descriptive qualitative method with observation and interview techniques focused on the target of the findings of problems in the RA institution in the North Jakarta area. The workshop activities were designed using participatory strategies and group discussions on how to identify and develop strategies for children with ADHD and Autism in carrying out play activities using APE from used items. The output product of PKM that has been implemented is in the form of a pocket book from a North Jakarta RA teacher who has succeeded in modifying the APE design from used goods. It is hoped that this activity can provide benefits to stimulate teachers' creativity and improve the quality of education for early childhood in accordance with the conditions of children's growth and development.

The effects of occupational disruption during COVID-19 lockdowns on health: a cross-sectional study.

The disruption in daily activity performance during COVID-19 lockdowns is widely understood to have impacted health, but a better understanding of how restricted performance of specific activities are associated with health is needed. This cross-sectional study answers the following question: How were changes in the performance of 16 daily activities associated with health during COVID-19 lockdowns? A total of 116 participants completed an online survey rating their health before and during COVID-19 lockdowns and comparing their recollection of the performance of 16 activities before COVID-19 with their performance during lockdowns. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between self-reported changes in activities during lockdowns and concurrent (during-lockdown) health status, while controlling for pre-COVID-19 health status. Only changes in activities that were uniquely and significantly associated with lockdown health status were retained in the final model. Health before COVID-19 accounted for 3.7% (P=0.039) of the variance in health during COVID-19 lockdowns. After controlling for health before COVID-19, five types of activity were significantly and uniquely predictive of health during lockdowns, together accounting for 48.3% of the variance. These activities and the variances they accounted for were rest and sleep (29.5%, P<0.001), play and recreational activities (8%, P<0.001), work (4.8%, P=0.002), personal hygiene (3.2%, P=0.01), and healthy eating (2.8%, P=0.013). The study suggests that these five types of activity should be prioritized in policy or interventions when participation in activity is constrained by lockdowns or comparable factors.

I feel well, i play well, i learn well: Direct and indirect divergent thinking mediate the role of well-being in supporting literacy achievements

In this study, we focused on children's well-being and dual manifestations of divergent thinking (DT), both direct and indirect, to investigate how these constructs correlate with children's literacy achievements. For this purpose, 107 children (52 % boys, mean age: 5.5 years, standard deviation (SD = 0.47 years) were recruited. Children's well-being was studied by counting their negative and positive affects expressed during solitary play and indicated by the positivity ratio, an index commonly used in adult studies but not previously employed in child samples. The same play episodes were used to examine indirect DT through object substitution generation (e.g., using a banana as a telephone), whereas direct manifestations of DT were examined using an alternate uses task that provided an indication of DT's triadic dimensions: fluency, flexibility, and originality. Vocabulary, morphology, and letter recognition tests were used to measure children's literacy achievements. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that well-being is related to literacy achievements through indirect DT manifestation, which drives the flexible thinking dimension when DT is induced directly. We concluded that allocating multiple representations of objects in a play setting provides children with an opportunity to practice flexible thinking, a critical mechanism that connects well-being with literacy skills. This study is significant in revealing the possible mechanisms that explain how well-being affects children's cognitive and academic development. Practically, it provides educational practitioners with insights into monitoring children's mental states and promoting flexible thinking, both implicitly through play activities and explicitly through structure tasks.

Assessing Developments in Play of Young Children

This paper follows an earlier report of young children’s object play activities investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 289 typically developing children. Thirty-minute videotaped observations were taken of children at 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, and 60 months of age in their homes. Forty-nine percent were boys. Children were identified as White (70%); mixed racial/cultural backgrounds (14%); Asian (7%); Black (6%); and Latinx (3%). This study reports patterns of cognitive development based on mastery scores derived from frequency and variety of activities in the 27 categories identified in the earlier study. Mastery scores afforded evaluation of the robustness of certain play categories, and the retention and reduction of others, yielding a final set of 14 to describe and assess developments in play. Discussion centers on the value of differentiated categories along with scores that yield a standard for an assessment of children’s play.

INTERACTION BETWEEN FAMILY AND PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT: PARTNERSHIP OR...?

The peculiarities of interaction between family and preschool educational organizations in the development of children aged 3-7 years are considered. The features of the formation of knowledge, skills and abilities by parents in the process of familiarization with the culture of using modern technical systems, norms of communication with different people are highlighted. The requirements of regulatory documents for the content and organization of children's education in preschool are analyzed, taking into account age and individual characteristics. The main requirements for the creation of partnerships between a family and a preschool educational organization are determined. It is noted that they arise on the basis of the use by parents and teachers of common mechanisms of child development and self-training in the process of growing up. Based on the materials of an empirical study, it is shown that, on the one hand, families are interested in the fact that the child acquires in kindergarten the knowledge and skills necessary for successful schooling. On the other hand, many parents do not show willingness to follow the recommendations of teachers when solving the tasks of forming children's curiosity, self-care skills, self-organization, compliance with norms, rules of behavior with peers, solving conflicts arising in play activities. The problem of developing partnerships in overcoming the child’s selfish motives through joint efforts, familiarization of children with the culture of cooperation that focuses on developing the ability to coordinate personal interests with the needs of others, is highlighted.

Peran Ayah Dalam Pendidikan Anak

Fathers have a role in the family, including children. This study aims to describe the role of fathers in children's education. This research is descriptive in nature by distributing questionnaires in the form of Google Forms. The results of this study show 93.8% stated that fathers are involved in children's education. Fathers can perform the role of fatherhood in the family well if they feel happy to be a father. Fathers have a role that is no less important than mothers. Physical involvement of fathers when children eat, do homework or play activities with children improves children's cognitive, social, and creative aspects. Self-development of knowledge about parenting is done by fathers by following their instincts, sharing experiences with friends, reading books, and participating in parenting activities.

Outdoor learning in urban schools: Effects on 4–5 year old children's noise and physiological stress

Natural outdoor environments reduce physiological stress. But in an urban school context, does outdoor learning still have beneficial effects even where nature exposure is more limited? The current, pre-registered study used wearable devices including heart rate monitors and actigraphs to examine physiological stress in 4–5 year old children across 8 matched indoor and outdoor sessions (N = 76 children, N = 601 sessions in total). Results revealed that children's resting heart rates while seated and listening to a teacher were significantly lower when outside compared to indoors (p < 0.001, d = 0.512). Children also moved more while seated during indoor sessions (p < 0.001, d = 0.546). Despite activities and resources being matched across conditions, outdoor learning sessions were significantly quieter than indoor ones, both when children were seated, listening to a teacher (p = 0.004, d = −0.455) and when actively engaged in play and learning activities (p < 0.001, d = 1.064). There was a significant positive correlation between noise levels and resting heart rate in the indoor condition (r(97) = 0.364, p < 0.001) but not in the outdoor condition. These findings suggest that learning outdoors, even in urban settings, associates with lower physiological stress in children and that this effect may partly be due to reduced noise. The fact that noise associates with resting heart rate indoors but not outdoors may indicate that being outside buffers children against the stressful effects of excess noise.

Peningkatan Keterampilan Berbicara Siswa Menggunakan Metode Role Playing pada Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia di Kelas IV SDN 2 Cibanteng

This study aims to improve students' speaking skills through the implementation of the role-playing method in Indonesian language learning. The research method used is classroom action research (CAR), which consists of planning, action, observation, and reflection in each cycle. The subjects of this study are 32 students, consisting of 17 female and 15 male students. Based on the research results, the students' speaking skills are still low; students tend to be shy, less expressive, hesitant, and confused about what to say. Students have not mastered linguistic factors such as pronunciation accuracy, intonation, and word choice. The role-playing learning method involves students extensively in speaking through drama activities. The results of this study indicate that students' speaking skills improved using the role-playing method. In the first cycle, the average score was 76.6, with 23 students passing and 9 students not passing, resulting in a percentage of 71.88% categorized as high. There was an improvement in the second cycle, with an average score of 87.96, where 30 students passed and 2 students did not, resulting in a percentage of 93.75% categorized as very high

Parental perspectives of early adolescent neighbourhood outdoor play and physical activity: barriers and facilitators

Introduction: Outdoor neighbourhood play supports physiological and psychological health among early adolescents (EA), typically aged 10-14. Existing research is often grounded in socioecological theory emphasising the interconnectedness of individuals and their environments. It has also typically focused on parental perspectives of facilitators and barriers of neighbourhood play in younger children. Aims: This study aimed to ascertain facilitators and barriers of outdoor neighbourhood play as perceived by EA parents. Methods: A purposive sample (n=11) of parents engaged in individual semi-structured interviews online via Microsoft Teams. Transcripts underwent reflexive inductive thematic analysis, identifying six themes aligned with the research question within a socioecological framework. Results: Most parents (n=10) demonstrated an awareness and appreciation of the advantages of outdoor neighbourhood play. They identified barriers and facilitators to outdoor neighbourhood play across intrapersonal, interpersonal, community and policy levels. Safety concerns emerged as a barrier to outdoor play. However, technology mediated reported concerns and was perceived as a facilitator to outdoor play when combined with age-appropriate community clubs and improved built environment facilities. Conclusion: Parents acknowledged the advantages of outdoor neighbourhood play. Parents may restrict their EA’s participation due to safety concerns. The study highlighted a deficiency in age-appropriate facilities supporting safe outdoor neighbourhood play. Future research should focus on developing appropriate facilities and improving social cohesion to mitigate perceived safety concerns of parents. Such attempts may benefit from using technology to assuage parental safety concerns further and enhance overall safety of neighbourhood outdoor play experiences for EA.

Parents’ Perception of Risk in Play: Associations with Parent and Child Gender

Allowing children the opportunity to take risks in their play may provide learning experiences that benefit children’s health and well-being. Parents’ perception of risk in children’s play may affect their behaviour and, in turn, their child’s risk-taking opportunities. This paper examines whether parent and child gender are associated with parents’ perceptions of risk in children’s play and whether any gender differences hold after controlling for parent anxiety. Data were collected from 88 parent dyads who were parents to preschool-aged children in England. Parent gender differences were found, with mothers perceiving greater risk in children’s risky play activities than fathers. Child gender was not significantly related to parents’ perception of risk. These findings are important for informing the development of programmes and advice designed to encourage parents to support their children’s outdoor, risky play. Specifically, they indicate that, for mothers in particular, support around perceiving risk and risk-reframing might help parents to give their child the opportunity to play in this way.

Setting the Stage for Play: Exploring the Relationship Between Play Type and Positive Caregiving Strategies During Therapeutic Playgroup.

Although play and positive caregiving strategies have been associated with child well-being, little is known about the relationship between play type and strategies used by caregivers in early childhood. To investigate whether a relationship exists between play type and positive caregiving strategies. Exploratory correlational nonexperimental design. Early childhood center. A convenience sample that included 60 observations of 14 caregivers during a therapeutic playgroup with 14 children with and without disabilities ages 15 mo to 3 yr (4 fathers, 3 mothers, 1 nanny, and 6 female early childhood teachers; age range = 30-39 yr). The caregivers were Black (n = 1; 7.1%), Hispanic (n = 5; 35.7%), and White (n = 8; 57.1%). Positive caregiving strategies were scored using the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes. Results revealed no significant correlations between play type and positive caregiving strategy. There was a positive, significant correlation between caregiving strategies (affection, responsiveness, encouragement, teaching, and total; rpbs = .767-.970, n = 58, p = .001). The play type and caregiver type variables did not predict total positive caregiving strategies, F(2, 57) = 2.147, p = .126. One variable, caregiver type, added statistical significance to the prediction (p = .045). The findings show no relationship between play type and positive caregiving strategy. Consideration of the types of caregivers participating in a therapeutic playgroup and their roles and use of positive strategies during play is worthy of further investigation. Plain-Language Summary: This study explored how parent and teacher caregivers supported children (both with and without disabilities) during a therapeutic playgroup at an early childhood center. Therapeutic playgroups are a special type of group play in which a trained professional helps guide play activities to support participation. The researchers wanted to see whether there was a connection between the type of play the children engaged in and how the adult caregivers interacted with them. The surprising finding was that there was no link between play type and how caregivers interacted. However, the caregivers often used positive strategies with the children, regardless of the play activity. Interestingly, type of caregiver (parent, teacher) seemed to make a slight difference in how they interacted with the children during playtime. Overall, this study suggests that more research is needed to understand how the types of play activities and objects might influence caregiver interactions during group play.

Effects of a Family-Implemented LEGO Intervention on Social Interactions for Children on the Autism Spectrum in China

The objective of the current study was to assess how a LEGO intervention, implemented by a grandparent and a parent at home, affected social interactions for four children (two girls, two boys; ages 6–7 years) on the autism spectrum in China. A multiple probe design across four families was used. Grandparents and parents were trained to use effective teaching strategies in structured LEGO play activities to engage in interactions with their children. Results indicated that all four children’s spontaneous social initiations and responses were improved and maintained for at least 7 weeks following completion of the intervention. Increased social initiations and responses were generalized to family activities and free play at home.

ДЕТСКОЕ ИГРОВОЕ ПРОСТРАНСТВО В СТРУКТУРЕ СОВРЕМЕННОГО МУЗЕЯ

The article identifies new trends in the design of play spaces in the structure of museums of various profiles, created for spending time and ensuring the cognitive process of children: acquaintance with history, regional characteristics and familiarization with culture. The emphasis in the study is on playgrounds aimed at developing children's sensory play activities, tactile sensations and skills. Play objects and areas for children designed in museum spaces and during exhibitions are analyzed. The following museum formats of game scenarios have been identified: archaeological, construction, sound, spatial, plot, adventure, solitary. Each of them differs in the types of activities taking place on the sites and the activity of the gameplay.

The contribution of playful activities in learning among primary school learners

The contribution of playful activities in learning among primary school learners

Effect of Play Activities Versus Passive Distraction Technique on Preoperative Anxiety and Fear Levels among Children Undergoing Surgeries

Effect of Play Activities Versus Passive Distraction Technique on Preoperative Anxiety and Fear Levels among Children Undergoing Surgeries

Observations on Gender Variance in Chinese Community Children Measured by the Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children.

Few studies have examined how gender variance (GV), broadly defined as gender identity and behaviors (e.g., activities and preferences) that do not correspond with culturally defined gender norms, manifests in community samples, particularly in children and outside Western contexts. We present data based on the Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children (GIQC; Johnson et al., 2004) among 461 Chinese community children (4-12years old) to gauge how well the GIQC serves as a measure of GV and the prevalence of GV. We examined the descriptive scores of GV, its relationship to a gender-typing measure that has been validated in Chinese children (the Child Play Behavior and Activity Questionnaire, CPBAQ), the scores on the GIQC of children whose gender is incongruent with birth-assigned sex, and the binned category distributions (from gender-variant to gender-conforming) in comparison to a Canadian community sample (van der Miesen et al., 2018). The Chinese children on average scored toward the gender-conforming end and children assigned female at birth showed more GV than children assigned male at birth. More importantly, the GIQC appears to be a reliable and sensitive measure of GV in the Chinese sample. GIQC scores correlated significantly with CPBAQ scores and showed a very similar reliability coefficient, gender difference effect size, and bin distribution pattern as the Canadian reference sample. Also, children reported as gender/sex incongruent had the most gender-variant GIQC scores. Although clinically gender-referred Chinese children are required to establish culturally specific cutoff points, these findings provide initial evidence for the characteristics of GV, the applicability of the GIQC as a measure of GV in Chinese community children, and the comparisons of GIQC categories between Chinese and Canadian community samples.

Validation of an Instrument That Measures Factors Affecting Saudi Parents' Tolerance of Risky Play: A Rasch Analysis.

Benefits of children's participation in risky play are broadly recognized. However, most related research originates in Western countries; none focuses on outdoor play in Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, although the literature identifies varying perspectives on risky play among parents, there is no objective measure to assess personal, situational, and cultural factors shaping their risk tolerance. To establish the construct validity and internal reliability of data gathered with the newly developed Factors Affecting Tolerance for Risk in Play Scale (FAC-TRiPS). Instrument development. Online survey. Ninety Saudi parents with children ages 7 to 10 yr. The FAC-TRiPS, a 17-item, self-report measure. We used Rasch analysis (Winsteps 4.4.4) to establish evidence for construct validity (item fit, match of item difficulty and parent tolerance, principal-components results) and internal reliability (person reliability index). Item fit analysis revealed that data from 15 of 17 items (88%) conformed to Rasch model expectations. Item difficulty closely matched parents' risk tolerance level. The principal-components analysis of residuals demonstrated that observed variance (49.6%) closely matched expected variance (49.7%). The first contrast's unexplained variance had an eigenvalue slightly greater than 2.5, suggesting possible multidimensionality. The person reliability index was .90. Preliminary analysis suggests that the FAC-TRiPS yields valid, reliable data measuring factors that influence parents' risk tolerance. Further research is needed. Plain-Language Summary: This study contributes to the knowledge of how parents in Eastern countries perceive risky play. The Factors Affecting Tolerance for Risk in Play Scale (FAC-TRiPS) is a newly developed tool that occupational therapy practitioners can use to understand parents' beliefs about and tolerance for their children's participation in risky play. The findings facilitate an understanding of the complex nature of parenting when determining whether to allow children to participate in risky play activities.

EVALUATION PRACTICES IN REGULAR EDUCATION

The present work aims to present a new teaching-learning evaluation methodology in regular education in Brazil, highlighting the competency-based methodology, as a practice that evaluates the student's learning evolution and not just a grade, which will include you at a higher level of education. To this end, a qualitative and exploratory approach was used to demonstrate that knowledge can be acquired and absorbed, through playful activities, knowledge of experience, external explorations, in addition to classrooms, among others. From this it was possible to see how the content was assimilated by the students and how their skills were exposed in their daily actions.