“When I was little, I loved to play”. Describing play experiences using a community-based lens
Focused on community play memories, the goals of this project were to (1) uncover the variety and degree of playful learning memories; (2) ascertain whether community members would spontaneously share memories of play, and (3) appraise whether memories differed between low-income and mixed-income communities. Results indicated that although community members freely shared play memories, the responses differed between the two communities. Those from the lower-income neighborhood were more likely to share experiences of playful learning; these embraced multiple dimensions of development (e.g. cognitive, social, physical); describing a rarely acknowledged strength of lower-income communities. It is concluded that a community project can elicit fond memories of playful learning and the wider range of play experiences. This portrait of a playful learning community can be achieved through a fun and rich neighborhood experience. This study has implications for community engagement and supporting play as a vehicle for community learning across diverse communities.