scholarly journals Play Behaviors in Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Literature

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 706
Author(s):  
Anastasia Kourti ◽  
Androniki Stavridou ◽  
Eleni Panagouli ◽  
Theodora Psaltopoulou ◽  
Maria Tsolia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screen Time ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Outdoor Play ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Children’S Play ◽  
Play Behaviors ◽  
Indoor Play ◽  
Qualitative Characteristics

Play is a key factor for children’s healthy psychological, emotional, social, and cognitive development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been postulated that children’s play was affected, not only regarding the time children spent playing but also in terms of the qualitative characteristics of play. The aim of this review was to investigate how children’s play has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. A review was conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, SCOPUS, ERIC, PsycInfo, and JSTOR databases up to 6 December 2020. Furthermore, references of eligible studies as well as of relevant articles were searched using a snowballing technique. The search retrieved 17 eligible studies, conducted in Europe and North America. In general, outdoor play was reduced during the pandemic; on the other hand, there was an increase in indoor play and in videogames-screen time. COVID-19 was present in children’s pretend play. Children’s play was a key contributor to children’s mood and wellbeing. Furthermore, teachers were especially concerned about how children’s play was affected during the lockdown measures. There is evidence that children’s play habits were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic; further research is required, especially cross-culturally oriented.

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.

Working toward play: Complexity in children's fantasy activities

1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn R. Whalen
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Complex Form ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Children’S Play ◽  
Fantasy Play ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
Complex Features ◽  
Play Group ◽  
Mixed Age

ABSTRACTChildren's play activities are widely perceived as developing from primitive to increasingly complex forms of social organization, as children mature and acquire interactional competency. Research following this traditional, developmentally oriented approach postulates that sports and games with rules are the most advanced and complex form of play activity; activities involving fantasy and pretend-play are viewed in comparison as considerably less complex. This article argues that fantasy play encounters exhibit complex features in their own right, and that long-held distinctions between higher-order games and fantasy play are conceptually overdrawn. The argument is grounded in a conversation analytic study of the play activities of a cross-sex, mixed-age neighborhood play group. This analysis focuses on the endogenous social organization of a fantasy play encounter. (Conversation analysis, children's play, socialization, social psychology)

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 Children’s Play—The Educator’s Opinion

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 266
Author(s):  
Visković ◽  
Sunko ◽  
Mendeš
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Children's Play ◽  
Creative Play ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Children’S Play ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Personal Paradigm ◽  
Additional Education

The educator’s personal role in understanding children’s play is a key factor in planning organization of educational process in kindergarten. An educator´s personal paradigm is assumed to be an experiential and educational construct. This research examines the possible correlation of educators’ personal paradigms (N = 291) and contextual factors in the region of Dalmatia (Croatia). A questionnaire Q-EOCP (α = 0.78) was designed for this research. Research findings suggest that most educators are reluctant to introduce information and communication technology /ICT into the educational process (M = 2.25; SD = 1.02) or work with children with disabilities (M = 2.03; SD = 1.33). There was a slightly positive correlation between the educator’s professional work experience and the view that children with disabilities /CWD should be taught how to play (r = 0.35; p ≤ 0.05). Work experience is slightly negatively correlated with the opinion that natural materials encourage creative play in children more than the didactic toys (r = −0.29; p ≤ 0.05) and with the assessment of daily play in nature (r = −0.21; p ≤ 0.05). The research measured the correlation of assessments of daily play in nature and the educators’ level of education (F = 3.47; p ≤ 0.05). Findings suggest that early childhood and preschool educators need additional education on children’s play and the possibilities of augmentative technology.

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