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This is a condensed version of a larger article that appeared in the American Journal of Play (Gray, 2009).Analysis of the anthropological literature suggests that hunter-gatherers use play and humor, more or less deliberately, to make their highly egalitarian mode of existence possible. Their methods of governance and sharing, religious beliefs and practices, and productive […]
5 
Work-themed play may allow children to learn complex skills, and ethno-typical and gender-typical behaviors. Thus, play may have made important contributions to the evolution of childhood through the development of embodied capital. Using data from Aka foragers and Ngandu farmer children from the Central African Republic, we ask whether children perform ethno- and gender-typical play […]
3 
The present study explores the constructs of Chinese mothers’ and fathers’ engagement in toddlers’ play in the daily context. A sample of 238 parents of toddlers (M = 30.43 months, SD = 3.45) completed a newly-developed instrument, the Chinese Parental Involvement in Toddler Play Activity Questionnaire (CPITPAQ), to report their play engagement. First, factor analyses […]
3 
Several studies have suggested that primates vary in their response to spatial reduction, which represents a challenge for captive animals. Under spatial reduction, primates can adopt various strategies to reduce social tension. Such strategies, which are not mutually exclusive, can involve avoidance and coping tactics. Recently, it has been shown that, during short-term crowding, bonobos […]
2 
Children’s physical education in early childhood settings has always been underpinned by an emphasis on play. This is viewed as foundational for child development (movement education, cognitive growth, socialising functions, emotional development). However, where priorities about childhood obesity prevail, increased ‘prevention’ efforts have become targeted at primary and pre-school-aged children. It could be argued that […]
2 Digital technologies open new windows for ethnographic explorations of cultural experiences. In this paper, we examine text messaging among academically talented teenage girls of colour at three US urban high schools. Texting introduced a new communication modality into the girls’ lives and created a space for new discourses mediating their participation in school. We draw […]
2 
Purpose: Much of the extant research literature on the initiatives to attract, inspire and recruit Black males to the teaching profession has focused on middle and high school students. Black boys’ socialization into dominant narratives regarding who can and cannot become teachers occurs as early as in early childhood classrooms; however, little attention has been […]
2 
Objectives: Reports of poor knowledge about epilepsy in different cities of Saudi Arabia have emphasized the need for a similar study of this issue in the Qassim region. Therefore, we aimed to determine the level of awareness and attitudes toward epilepsy in the population of Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in […]
2 
Teddy bear therapy (TBT) represents an innovative application of family therapy within the context of child, and specifically play, psychotherapy. Drawing on play and storytelling, it entails the therapist and the (referred) child telling a story about a teddy bear that is facing difficulties similar to the child’s. Together, therapist and child explore how changes […]
2 
Background: Paediatric anxiety disorders are associated with substantial disability and long-term adverse consequences, but only a small proportion of affected children have access to evidence-based treatment. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) could help increase accessibility but needs further rigorous assessment. We aimed to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of ICBT in the treatment of paediatric […]
2 
Videogames are included among the wide array of digital resources available to teachers to foster student engagement and teach domain-specific content. In this study, we analyze how two teachers in two countries used the commercial videogame The Walking Deadô to teach ethical theories in upper secondary citizenship education. In both cases, students collaborated in playing […]
2 
This article discusses a single case analysis of teacher-child interactions on an everyday bush walk in New Zealand. It uses a combination of the Leuven wellbeing scale (Laevers, 2000) and a conversation analysis approach to explore how children and teachers attend to specific features of the outdoor environment in a way that encourages risk-taking and […]
2 
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have deficits in social skills and may avoid engaging in play activities with typically developing peers. The purpose of this study was to identify the utility of activity schedules, with embedded scripts, to teach three children with ASD to play a complex social game. Specifically, children with ASD […]
2 
Background: Few studies have delved into the relationship of the social environment with children’s physical activity and outdoor play in public playgrounds by considering gender differences. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences and the relationship of the social environment with children’s physical activity and outdoor play in public playgrounds. Methods: […]
7
The connection between play and culture has an illustrious past. In 1950, the classic play theorist Johan Huizinga articulated the position of play as a cultural phenomenon, one that humans share with animals. In this work, he introduced the defining criteria of play and its relationship to other higher forms of human activity such as […]
2 
Public open spaces (POS) are key neighbourhood destinations for children, providing opportunities for meaningful experiences (i.e. affordances) and independence. This study aimed to explore children’s experiences and perceptions of neighbourhood POS in order to understand POS affordances for children’s independent mobility (CIM). This study utilised go-along (walking) and home interviews with 140 children aged 9-13 […]
2 
Maintaining children’s health was the responsibility of parents, but now public schools and health departments have contributed significantly to improving child health. Diarrhea is an endemic disease in Indonesia and is also a potential illness of outbreaks that is often accompanied by death. In the year 2015 occurred 18 times Outbreaks of Diarrhea spread in […]
2 
Children’s early mathematical abilities are fundamental to their later academic achievement. An interest in mathematics in the early years is likely to establish a positive attitude to later mathematical learning, hopefully sustaining continued interest in mathematics and mathematical learning. Approaches to early mathematics teaching in the early years, however, are typically adult-initiated, which may fail […]
1 
Introduction: This study analysed the differences in play performance between preschool children with cerebral palsy and those with typical development and investigated the factors influencing functional mobility and manual dexterity on play in children with cerebral palsy. Method: Sixty preschool children (30 with cerebral palsy; 30 with typical development), were assessed by the revised Knox […]
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Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Wellbeing: Summary of the Evidence.
ABSTRACT It is no secret that rates of anxiety and depression among school-aged children and teens in the United States are at an all-time high. Recognizing this, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association issued, in 2021, a joint statement to the Biden administration that child […]