Although the construct of solitary-active behavior calls for the aggregation of solitary-functional play and solitary-pretend play, there is little empirical support for combining them into one construct. Furthermore, little work has been done in early childhood to examine these behaviors on the playground. The purpose of this study was to observe…

This paper reviews historical aspects of play, issues about recess time, and implications for children who have disabilities. It also describes the need for research to acquire information from stakeholders. Play is pleasurable, enjoyable, intrinsic, and the active base for cognitive, social, motor, and language development in children.…

Noting that school recess periods are one of the few times when children interact with their peers on their own terms--with minimal adult intervention--this book examines recess behavior and its social and pedagogical implications. In addition to studying spontaneous peer interaction among school children, the book addresses issues of: (1) the…

Observed 88 first and second graders and 76 fifth and sixth graders during playground interactions. A time-sampling procedure recorded gender, race, and group size of all interactive play in seven playground areas. Found that mixed-gender interactions were more likely than same-gender ones to include other races, and mixed-race interactions…