Young Children’s Interactions With Sound-Producing Objects

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana R. Dansereau
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Group Interactions ◽  
Object Play ◽  
Functional Play ◽  
Musical Play ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Cognitive Play ◽  
Observed Behavior

The purpose of this study was to observe, analyze, and document the range of young children’s interactions with sound-producing objects in order to better understand the nature of such interactions. Of particular interest was whether theories of cognitive play, social play, object play, and existing research on musical play could guide concurrently the interpretation of children’s interactions with these objects and whether the interactions were consistent with these theories. Two groups of participants, nine 3-year-old children and seven 4-year-old children, played with sound-producing objects for approximately 15 min once a week for 12 weeks. Participants interacted with the objects in rich and varied ways, including explorations of the objects’ sound-producing capabilities and other physical attributes, nonmusical and musical functional and pretend play episodes, and construction behaviors. Movement and singing often were layered upon the children’s interactions with the objects. Musical functional play was the most frequently observed behavior across both ages of participants. The children were more likely to engage in solitary/parallel behaviors than group interactions, and group interactions were more common among the 4-year-old children than the 3-year-olds. All behaviors that were anticipated via the conceptual framework were observed, with the exception of group nonmusic exploration.

scholarly journals Eager To Engage: Young Nigerian Children’s Interactions With Novel Play Materials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Suh
Keyword(s):  
Pretend Play ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Infants And Toddlers ◽  
Functional Play ◽  
Coding Scheme ◽  
Developmental Progression ◽  
Cognitive Play ◽  
Play Materials ◽  
Constructive Play

The purpose of this study was to observe, analyze, and document young Nigerian children’s interactions with novel play materials at their crèche. To date, limited studies have examined Nigerian infants’ and toddlers’ independent engagement with novel play materials. The children’s exploratory and play behaviours—cognitive and social play—were observed. An a priori coding scheme was used to simultaneously analyze cognitive and social play behaviours in the children, eight participants between 7- and 24-months of age. Over the course of four weeks, children were introduced to 11 novel play materials. Observed cognitive play behaviours included functional play, pretend play and constructive play, while social play behaviours consisted of solitary, parallel and simple social play. Although the results showed developmental progression in exploration and play, the varying degree of novelty of the play materials may have influenced children’s exploration and play. Despite these findings, children exhibited various exploratory and play behaviours with the introduction of play materials in a setting in which there were none.

scholarly journals Eager To Engage: Young Nigerian Children’s Interactions With Novel Play Materials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Suh
Keyword(s):  
Pretend Play ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Infants And Toddlers ◽  
Functional Play ◽  
Coding Scheme ◽  
Developmental Progression ◽  
Cognitive Play ◽  
Play Materials ◽  
Constructive Play

The purpose of this study was to observe, analyze, and document young Nigerian children’s interactions with novel play materials at their crèche. To date, limited studies have examined Nigerian infants’ and toddlers’ independent engagement with novel play materials. The children’s exploratory and play behaviours—cognitive and social play—were observed. An a priori coding scheme was used to simultaneously analyze cognitive and social play behaviours in the children, eight participants between 7- and 24-months of age. Over the course of four weeks, children were introduced to 11 novel play materials. Observed cognitive play behaviours included functional play, pretend play and constructive play, while social play behaviours consisted of solitary, parallel and simple social play. Although the results showed developmental progression in exploration and play, the varying degree of novelty of the play materials may have influenced children’s exploration and play. Despite these findings, children exhibited various exploratory and play behaviours with the introduction of play materials in a setting in which there were none.

scholarly journals Psychological Characteristics of Play Activities for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-130
Author(s):  
И.А. Конева ◽  
Т.А. Серебрякова ◽  
О.И. Борисова
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Quality Analysis ◽  
Object Play ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Children’S Play ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

В статье рассматриваются особенности игровой деятельности дошкольников с расстройствами аутистического спектра (РАС). Данная проблема является недостаточно разработанной в специальной психологии и психокоррекционной практике и очень актуальной с точки зрения оптимизации развития детей с РАС. Анализируются результаты психологических исследований по отмеченной проблеме; описывается методологический аппарат проведенного авторами эмпирического изучения особенностей игровой деятельности дошкольников с расстройствами аутистического спектра (РАС): цель, гипотеза, методики; дается качественный анализ полученных результатов. В процессе сравнения особенностей игры дошкольников с РАС с возрастными нормативами доказано, что игровая деятельность этих детей отличается своеобразием: у большинства преобладает предметно-манипулятивная деятельность; отмечаются трудности в использовании предметов-заместителей в игре, нарушения при использовании свойств игрушки; предпочитаемая игра имеет стереотипный характер, а основным побудителем для игры служит выраженный сенсорный раздражитель. Подтверждена гипотеза о том, что у дошкольников с РАС в игровой деятельности преобладают предметные манипуляции, стереотипные действия, использование игрушек не по назначению. Кроме того, у дошкольников с РАС выявлены индивидуальные особенности игровой деятельности: предпочитаемые игры и игрушки, выбираемые места для игр, наличие или отсутствие ролевой речи. Перспективы дальнейшего исследования особенностей игровой деятельности дошкольников с расстройствами аутистического спектра могут быть связаны с разработкой индивидуально ориентированных коррекционно-развивающих программ с учетом особенностей игры каждого ребенка для оптимизации его общего психического развития. The article treats the characteristics of play activities for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. This issue of special psychology and psychocorrectional practice is under-investigated and highly relevant as a means to enhance the development of children with autism spectrum disorders. The article analyzes the results of psychological research on the issue. It describes the methodological apparatus for empirical investigation of play activities for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders: the aim, the hypothesis, the methods employed. It also provides a quality analysis of the obtained results. A comparative analysis of autistic children’s play activities and play activities of normotypical children of the same age shows that autistic children’s play activities have some peculiarities: the majority of children engage in object play, they experience difficulties with symbolic play, cannot properly use the properties of a play object, they prefer stereotypical and repetitive play activities, they engage in play activities for the physical sensation it creates. The article proves the hypothesis that preschool children with autism spectrum disorders engage in object manipulations, stereotypical activities, do not use objects the way they are intended to be used. Moreover, preschool children with autism spectrum disorders demonstrate individual peculiarities when engaged in play activities: favorite toys and games, favorite play spots, absence or presence of verbal communication during pretend play. Further investigation of play activities for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders can be associated with the development of individual correctional programs that take into consideration children’s individual play characteristics and enhance children’s psychological development.

scholarly journals Features of Social Play in 8- to 11-Year-Olds in China: Exploring Children’s Own Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAO Zhen ◽  
Jenny GIBSON ◽  
Bill NICHOLL
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Chinese Children ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Natural Settings

This paper presents a small-scale exploratory study investigating social play among 8- to 11-year-old Chinese children. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six self-selected pairs of children in six natural settings (two homes, two parks, and two playgrounds). Children’s responses to the interview questions and their spontaneous play activities during the interview were audio-recorded and analysed thematically based on transcription. Pretend play and games with rules were found to be two popular types of social play among these children. Three features of social play activities were identified: combination of real-life elements and creation, combination of variation and consistency, and combination of conflicts and compromises. According to children’s own perspectives, being appropriately challenged, being fair, and having autonomy were important for them during play. Children also reported positive emotions during play and negative emotions when not having opportunity to play. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

Cognitive and Social Play of Australian Preschoolers

1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley R. Wyver ◽  
Susan H. Spence
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Impulse Control ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Play Skills ◽  
Early Childhood Programs ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

This paper reports on the play behaviours of preschoolers aged 49–64 months. The study was conducted in four Sydney preschools, with children being observed during their outdoor free play. Most participants engaged in a variety of play behaviours, many of which have been linked with cognitive development in previous research (constructive play, sociodramatic play, associative social play). However, thematic pretend play, which has been found to have an important role in many areas of development, including perspective taking, language, impulse control and divergent problem solving, was part of the play repertoire of only 20% of children observed. Likewise, only 24% of children engaged in cooperative social play, which has been found to have a role in the development of divergent problem solving skills. It is argued that staff working within early childhood programs may benefit from training in the use of programs designed to assist young children in the development of play skills.

scholarly journals Play in Elephants: Wellbeing, Welfare or Distraction?

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 305 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Elizabeth Webber ◽  
Phyllis C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Play ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Active Time ◽  
Object Play ◽  
Welfare Indicator ◽  
Potential Indicator ◽  
In The Wild

We explore elephant play behaviour since (a) play has been proposed to represent a potential welfare indicator; and (b) play has been associated with long-term survival in the wild. We categorised play into four types, and investigate both social (gentle, escalated-contact) and non-social (lone-locomotor, exploratory-object) play from observations made on wild (Asian N = 101; African N = 130) and captive (Asian N = 8; African N = 7) elephant calves ranging in age from birth to five years. Social play was the most frequent type of play among immature elephants, accounting for an average of 3%–9% of active time. Non-social play accounted for an additional 1%–11% of time. The most time spent in play was seen in captive Asian calves, particularly at the ages of 1–6 months, while wild African calves spent the least time in play overall, even though they had the greatest number and most diverse range of play partners available. We assessed calf energetics using time spent suckling, resting, moving and independent feeding. Time spent playing was unrelated to time spent suckling but negatively associated with time spent independently feeding. There were no associations with time spent moving or resting. Maternal energy via lactation was unrelated to play early in life, but energy acquired independently may constrain or enable play. Play, while a potential indicator of compromised welfare for many species when absent, can act as a highly stimulating activity for captive elephants in the absence of other forms of arousal.

Play

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio M. Pellis ◽  
Vivien C. Pellis
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Emotional Resilience ◽  
Object Play ◽  
New Methods ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Made In

Play behavior is relatively rare in the animal kingdom, but is widespread, and in some lineages is very common not only in childhood but also in adulthood. It can take many forms, as playful actions can be directed to a social partner (social play), to an inanimate object (object play), or self-directed, as the animal, jumps, runs, and turns (locomotor-rotational play). Considerable progress has been made in understanding the neural, emotional, and cognitive mechanisms mammals use in regulating social play, but whether comparable mechanisms are used to regulate other forms of play, or apply to non-mammalian animals, remains to be resolved. Similarly, social play in some mammals has been demonstrated to benefit the development of sociocognitive skills and emotional resilience, while locomotor-rotational play can benefit the development of motor skills. The factors that allow some species to gain these benefits also remain to be resolved. Statistical approaches that take the relatedness of species into account are increasingly being applied to analyze a growing comparative database that includes species from many different lineages. In addition, mathematical and computational models are being used to test the explanatory power of various factors to account for the evolution of play. Coupled with new methods in neuroscience that provide a deeper understanding of the brain during play, these approaches will enable extraordinary progress in understanding play over the next few decades.

Development of Preschoolers' Social-Cognitive Play Behaviors

1982 ◽  
Vol 55 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1109-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Pellegrini
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Dramatic Play ◽  
Time Sampling ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Cognitive Behaviors ◽  
Functional Play ◽  
Children’S Play ◽  
Play Behaviors ◽  
Cognitive Play ◽  
Sampling Schedule

To investigate the development of preschoolers' social-cognitive play behaviors 10 preschoolers each at three ages, 2, 3, and 4 yr., were observed in their classrooms on 15 occasions by a time-sampling schedule. Children's social-cognitive behaviors were coded according to Parten and Smilansky's systems. Analyses indicated that children's play became more social as they grew older. 3- and 4-yr.-olds, however, engaged in more non-social dramatic play than did 2-yr.-olds. 3- and 4-yr.-old girls engaged in more non-social functional play than did boys. Boys, however, engaged in more non-social dramatic play than girls. Increased sampling is needed.

scholarly journals Play-based interventions to support social and communication development in autistic children aged 2–8 years: A scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 239694152110158
Author(s):  
Jenny L Gibson ◽  
Emma Pritchard ◽  
Carmen de Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Play Skills ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Wide Range

Background and aims Play is used by practitioners from across disciplinary backgrounds as a natural and enjoyable context for providing intervention and support in early childhood. In the case of autism interventions, many therapies are based on the association between social play and the development of social skills, language development, and communication skills, as these are often particular areas of challenge for autistic children. However, play is a wide-ranging concept and the extant literature on play-based interventions is large and heterogeneous. This means it is challenging for practitioners and families to navigate the evidence base and make choices about differing intervention strategies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive map of the research on this topic and to develop a conceptual framework to inform clinical decision-making. Methods An initial stakeholder consultation confirmed the relevance of the topic to practitioners and autistic people. A scoping review methodology (preregistered) was used to identify relevant literature. We systematically searched seven databases to find peer-reviewed primary intervention studies of play-based approaches targeting language, social and communication outcomes for autistic children aged 2-8 years. We then summarised the literature using narrative synthesis and Evidence Gap Maps (EGMs). The literature was summarised according to a range of characteristics, including study design, population characteristics, agent of intervention and outcomes measured, among others. These summaries were then used to develop a framework for some key considerations for practitioners appraising play-based approaches. Results 388 studies met inclusion criteria. Approximately 21% of studies were RCTs, and over 50% had ≤10 participants. Over 45% of studies reported multiple relevant outcomes, with social play skills being the most common single intervention target. Girls and minority background groups are under-represented. A range of intervention types were identified, and some high-level categorisations are proposed. Main contribution: On the basis of the evidence synthesis we suggest important dimensions for appraisal of play-based interventions, including the role of play within an intervention (as a context, a key developmental mechanism, or a component of a larger approach), the underpinning philosophy (e.g. behaviourist or developmental), and the role of the practitioner (providing parent feedback, 1:1 intervention, group facilitation). Conclusions The wide range of approaches uncovered by this review is a testament to the wonderful diversity inherent to both play and autism. However, research could usefully focus on consolidating the evidence base for existing approaches, rather than aiming for further diversification. Implications: The conceptual framework proposed in this review can help practitioners appraise the literature and aid their advice to families when making shared intervention decisions.

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