Playgroups are a unique form of early childhood provision involving parents and their children attending together. Parents' attendance at playgroups provides opportunities for involvement in play. However, little is known about parents' practices of co-play in playgroups and the potential for these practices to enhance children's play experiences…

It is important for assessments used by occupational therapists to have documented evidence of their validity. This adds to the knowledge about what specific factors assessments measure and inform their utility for use in clinical practice by occupational therapists. The convergent validity between the Children's Assessment of Participation and…

This study presents a comparative study of the free-time activity preferences of 9- to 11-year-old children in the UK and USA, as drawn by them in art workshops. Six themes emerged relating to sport, outdoor play, family/peers, media, special occasions and other (indefinable) activities. The children's talk about their drawings revealed additional…

Children's interests are frequently cited as a source of early-years curricula. Yet, research has rarely considered the nature of these interests beyond the play-based environment of early-childhood education. This paper reports findings from a qualitative, interpretivist study in two early childhood settings in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Using…

Do children still play old-fashioned" games? The editors invite teacher comment. (SP)

Examines a classic text, Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses," within the context of several of Stevenson's own essays. Suggests that unlike many children's books, it was an experiment and one that Stevenson, for various reasons, including his premature death, was never able to adapt for future use. (RS)

Whether the irreversible, inevitable movement toward group living for young children becomes a boon to childhood or the bane of childhood depends on whether we remember or whether we forget childhood. (Author)

Every summer and fall, Japanese children (mostly boys) spend hours catching and playing with insects, or mushi. Different species are associated with the seasons, times of the day, or specific games. Mushi customs are centuries old, were traditionally passed from grandfather to grandchild, and are reflected in electronic and "virtual"…

Neighborhood parks and playgrounds are included in the planning of residential areas in Sweden, but the specific requirements and needs of children are seldom considered. In a pilot study in the town of Eslov, a focus group of seven teachers and planners identified outdoor places which they thought were preferred by children, and four boys and…

American culture appears to be the enemy of childhood. Children now look, dress, talk, and behave like adults. At the same time, adults have become more like children. (Author/JM)

This book describes a study of childhood experiences with creating personal space in the outdoors, the role these spaces play in children's evolving sense of self, and implications of place-making for education. Chapter 1 describes the author's personal interests that led to the study, the study population, and the way in which each study site was…

Well meaning parents and teachers often use children's play for the purposes of literacy and socialization. Yet, these attempts may deny play to children by subordinating play to some other concept. Evidence shows that even when parents play with their very young children they generally play games like shopping, cooking, and eating; whereas when…

Examined gender-typed behavior and interests in 2- to 10-year-old girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and in unaffected girls matched for age. Found that, compared with unaffected girls, girls with CAH were more interested in masculine toys and less interested in feminine toys and were more likely to report having male playmates and…

This resource booklet addresses adults' concerns about developing appropriate responses to "superhero play" among young children. In order for adults to successfully change patterns of superhero play, it is suggested that they first become familiar with superhero programs and understand the basis of their appeal. The issue discusses…

The literature on children's acquisition of sex-typed knowledge, preference, and behavior is reviewed, and a matrix of sex-typing constructs and sex-typed content areas is offered. Two major themes are discussed. The first theme concerns the importance of activities, interests, and peer associations in the early acquisition of sex-typing…