New project to help all children be part of playing

A game of catch at the playground. Pillow forts in the padded room. Castles in the sandbox. Or playing house inside the nursery. For most children, a day at the daycare is full of play.

However, in these communities of play, some children are frequently not given enough space to become a part of playing. And if that happens time after time, it can affect their well-being, development and social experiences.

In the research project Play, Reflect and Participate (PREP), researchers and pedagogic staff in daycares will develop and test knowledge on how systematic reflection will allow practitioners to create optimal conditions for all children to participate.

‘Children’s opportunity to be part of playing with others is important. But working with children’s opportunities to play is a complex pedagogic practice, and it may be hard to include all children,’ says senior associate professor Vibe Larsen of University College Copenhagen, who leads the project.

‘That is why the project is about creating equal opportunities for all children – including those who, for various reasons, do not naturally become part of playing,’ she says.

Not child’s play

The playing of children often appears free and unbothered, but it can actually be quite complex, and children are always at risk of being excluded.

Research has shown that children in vulnerable positions often stand outside the communities of play. And if they are not adequately supported in participating, it may lead differences in competences and well-being to grow, solidifying inequality.

‘There may be several interacting causes that some children are excluded from playing. For example, the dynamics in the group of children and the children’s preconditions for taking part in playing. And to a large extent, what opportunities institutions offer for everyone to participate,’ says Vibe Larsen.

Expanding on a reflection model

The research group has developed a pedagogic reflection model based on a previous qualitative study of children’s play and pedagogic practice: the PREP model – which stands for Play, Reflect and Participate.

It is designed to help the adults ask themselves questions as part of their daily work and make sure that they are both aware of children in vulnerable positions and the dynamics in communities of play.

In the first phase of the project, researchers and the staff of four kindergartens are to collectively qualify the model on the basis of the professionals’ practice, knowledge and experience of children’s play.

The PREP model highlights five things that may decide whether children are included in playing.

• How do I, as an adult, choose to participate – on the sidelines, as support or by actively taking part in playing?
• What is the significance of space and materiality for the playing of children and their opportunity for participation?
• How is the day organised, and what does that mean for children’s play? Is there actually time for playing?
• What are our pedagogic intentions of playing?
• How are the children’s own ideas and perspectives incorporated?

‘We should develop a way of working that both allows the staff to reflect systematically on their practice and assess what works and makes sense in each particular situation,’ says Vibe Larsen.

Developing in step with practice

The first phase of the project – the development phase – has just been initiated. This is where the researchers and the practitioners collectively develop the intervention that is subsequently to be tested, adjusted, evaluated and disseminated.

‘The practitioners and their managers take part from the start, and everything is developed and adjusted along with them, based on their knowledge and experiences. In this way we may account for the conditions, challenges and opportunities that exist in their reality and develop something that is applicable across institutions,’ explains Vibe Larsen.