Children and Play
Understanding Children's Worlds
Understanding Children's Worlds
1. Auflage April 2009
266 Seiten, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
ISBN:
978-0-631-23522-4
John Wiley & Sons
The role of play in child development is a source of ongoing
interest and debate. In this book, renowned expert Peter Smith
offers an expansive definition of the term "play",
taking an in-depth look at its impact on children, as well as its
adaptive value for birds and mammals, including primates.
Using both contemporary and classic research, Smith examines how
different age groups and sexes participate in a wide variety of
play, including exercise and rough-and- tumble play, fantasy play
and imaginary friends, and play with objects. The book gauges the
function of play in early childhood education and makes the case
for and against recess breaks in school. How play occurs in
different societies and among various populations - including
children with special needs - is also explored.
With its comprehensive coverage of theoretical, historical,
cross-cultural, and evolutionary perspectives, Children and
Play holds significant insights for parents, educators, and
clinicians.
Series Editor's Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Play.
Why Play?
Examples of What Is and What Is Not Play.
Characteristics of Playful Behavior.
Types of Play.
Things That Are Probably Not Play: Exploration, Stereotypic
Behavior, Work, Rule-Governed Games.
Methods of Studying Play.
Plan of the Book.
Chapter 2 A Brief History of the Study of Play and of Play
Theories.
Early European Educators and the Role of Play.
Evolutionary Theory and Play: Darwin, Spencer, and Groos.
Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Play.
The Play Ethos.
Anthropological Perspectives on Play.
Psychological Perspectives: Vygotsky and Piaget.
Developmental Sequences in Play: Piaget, Smilansky, Rubin.
More Recent Play Theorists.
Chapter 3 Animal Play: Definitions and Descriptions.
Possible Play in Birds, Lower Vertebrates, and
Invertebrates.
Play in Mammals.
Some Examples of Mammalian Play.
Do All Mammals Play?
Play in Monkeys and Apes.
Chapter 4 Animal Play: Theoretical Perspectives on
Function.
Theories and Evidence Concerning the Evolution and Adaptive
Value of Animal Play.
Examining Possible Benefits of Play.
General Views on the Benefits of Play.
The Possible Relevance for Human Play of Studying Animal
Play.
Chapter 5 Play in Different Cultures.
(author: Yumi Gosso)
Parakanã Children.
Factors Contributing to Cultural Similarities and
Differences.
Similarities and Differences across Cultures.
Chapter 6 Physical Activity Play: Exercise Play and
Rough-and-Tumble.
Stages in Physical Activity Play.
Rough-and-Tumble Play.
Sex Differences in Physical Activity Play.
Functions of Physical Activity Play.
Chapter 7 Object Play.
Sensorimotor or Functional Play.
Beyond the Sensorimotor Period.
Functions of Object Play.
Experiments with Object Play and Creative Problem-Solving.
Chapter 8 Pretend Play: Description.
Definitions of Pretend or Fantasy Play.
The Development of Pretend Play in Children.
Solitary and Social Pretend Play.
Sociodramatic Play.
Imaginary Companions.
Distinguishing Fantasy and Reality.
Gender Differences.
Pretend Play and Friendship.
Other Factors Affecting Pretend Play.
A Universal Human Feature?
Children with Autism.
Pretend Play as a Lifespan Activity?
Chapter 9 Pretend Play: Theories and Functions.
Arguments for Benefits of Pretend or Fantasy Play.
Theories Concerning the Function of Pretend Play.
Models of the Role of Pretend Play in Development.
Evidence for the Functions of Pretend Play.
Experimental Studies.
Chapter 10 Some Practical Issues Concerning Play.
The Role of Parents in Encouraging and Structuring Children's
Play.
The Role of Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum: Play
Training.
Attitudes to War Play.
The Arguments For (and Against) Recess Breaks.
The Role of Play in Helping Children under Stress, or with
Illness or Disability.
Chapter 11 Concluding Comments: Play and the Middle
Way.
Play: Ignored or Idealized?
References.
Author Index.
Subject Index.
Acknowledgments.
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Play.
Why Play?
Examples of What Is and What Is Not Play.
Characteristics of Playful Behavior.
Types of Play.
Things That Are Probably Not Play: Exploration, Stereotypic
Behavior, Work, Rule-Governed Games.
Methods of Studying Play.
Plan of the Book.
Chapter 2 A Brief History of the Study of Play and of Play
Theories.
Early European Educators and the Role of Play.
Evolutionary Theory and Play: Darwin, Spencer, and Groos.
Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Play.
The Play Ethos.
Anthropological Perspectives on Play.
Psychological Perspectives: Vygotsky and Piaget.
Developmental Sequences in Play: Piaget, Smilansky, Rubin.
More Recent Play Theorists.
Chapter 3 Animal Play: Definitions and Descriptions.
Possible Play in Birds, Lower Vertebrates, and
Invertebrates.
Play in Mammals.
Some Examples of Mammalian Play.
Do All Mammals Play?
Play in Monkeys and Apes.
Chapter 4 Animal Play: Theoretical Perspectives on
Function.
Theories and Evidence Concerning the Evolution and Adaptive
Value of Animal Play.
Examining Possible Benefits of Play.
General Views on the Benefits of Play.
The Possible Relevance for Human Play of Studying Animal
Play.
Chapter 5 Play in Different Cultures.
(author: Yumi Gosso)
Parakanã Children.
Factors Contributing to Cultural Similarities and
Differences.
Similarities and Differences across Cultures.
Chapter 6 Physical Activity Play: Exercise Play and
Rough-and-Tumble.
Stages in Physical Activity Play.
Rough-and-Tumble Play.
Sex Differences in Physical Activity Play.
Functions of Physical Activity Play.
Chapter 7 Object Play.
Sensorimotor or Functional Play.
Beyond the Sensorimotor Period.
Functions of Object Play.
Experiments with Object Play and Creative Problem-Solving.
Chapter 8 Pretend Play: Description.
Definitions of Pretend or Fantasy Play.
The Development of Pretend Play in Children.
Solitary and Social Pretend Play.
Sociodramatic Play.
Imaginary Companions.
Distinguishing Fantasy and Reality.
Gender Differences.
Pretend Play and Friendship.
Other Factors Affecting Pretend Play.
A Universal Human Feature?
Children with Autism.
Pretend Play as a Lifespan Activity?
Chapter 9 Pretend Play: Theories and Functions.
Arguments for Benefits of Pretend or Fantasy Play.
Theories Concerning the Function of Pretend Play.
Models of the Role of Pretend Play in Development.
Evidence for the Functions of Pretend Play.
Experimental Studies.
Chapter 10 Some Practical Issues Concerning Play.
The Role of Parents in Encouraging and Structuring Children's
Play.
The Role of Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum: Play
Training.
Attitudes to War Play.
The Arguments For (and Against) Recess Breaks.
The Role of Play in Helping Children under Stress, or with
Illness or Disability.
Chapter 11 Concluding Comments: Play and the Middle
Way.
Play: Ignored or Idealized?
References.
Author Index.
Subject Index.
"In his new book Understanding Children's Worlds: Children and
Play, Smith brings his considerable expertise to a wide range of
issues. . . Overall, this volume provides a readable summary of the
current research and theory on children's play, and it would be an
excellent textbook or supplementary reading for an undergraduate or
graduate class on child development, social development, or
children's play." (American Journal of Play, 2011)
"Peter Smith is to be congratulated for producing the first truly
comprehensive synthesis on the subject of juvenile play. The work's
breadth and thoroughness make it the definitive reference, while
the quality of the prose enables the book's use as a textbook.
Smith's treatment of methodology and theoretical history is
especially thorough and insightful.
Smith's unique contribution to play scholarship has been his
identification of the play ethos. This social movement has had a
distorting effect on research by inflating evidence for the value
of play for children and of the necessity for parent-child play. In
this volume, Smith almost surgically removes the play ethos
cataract that obscures play scholarship. In doing so he reminds us
that there are still many important questions regarding juvenile
play which await serious research."
-Professor David F. Lancy, Anthropology, Utah State
University, USA
"Peter Smith's book, Children and Play, is what one would
expect from one of the leading figures in the field of play.
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of evolutionary theory and the
human developmental and comparative play literatures, Smith
presents a comprehensive picture of the complexities of the place
of play in human development as well as measured analyses of its
place in schools. This book is a crowning achievement to his close
to 40 years of careful study of the field. I learned a great deal
from it."
-Professor Anthony D. Pellegrini, Educational
Psychology, University of Minnesota, USA
"This book is an excellent synthesis of what is currently known
about the play of children. Peter Smith, one of the leading
play researchers of our time, sheds new light on some long-debated
issues such as the definition of play, play's role in
development and evolution, and the relationship between play and
culture. In addition, individual chapters provide rich detail about
particular types of play, including the much neglected category of
physical play. The volume concludes with a very interesting
discussion of practical issues, including parental involvement in
play, play's role in education, the importance of school recess,
and war play. I was very impressed with Professor
Smith's balanced, objective discussion of play
research. He effectively argues for a "middle
way" of viewing play, a view that neither idealizes nor
denigrates its importance in the lives of children."
-Professor James Christie, Curriculum and Instruction,
Arizona State University, USA
Play, Smith brings his considerable expertise to a wide range of
issues. . . Overall, this volume provides a readable summary of the
current research and theory on children's play, and it would be an
excellent textbook or supplementary reading for an undergraduate or
graduate class on child development, social development, or
children's play." (American Journal of Play, 2011)
"Peter Smith is to be congratulated for producing the first truly
comprehensive synthesis on the subject of juvenile play. The work's
breadth and thoroughness make it the definitive reference, while
the quality of the prose enables the book's use as a textbook.
Smith's treatment of methodology and theoretical history is
especially thorough and insightful.
Smith's unique contribution to play scholarship has been his
identification of the play ethos. This social movement has had a
distorting effect on research by inflating evidence for the value
of play for children and of the necessity for parent-child play. In
this volume, Smith almost surgically removes the play ethos
cataract that obscures play scholarship. In doing so he reminds us
that there are still many important questions regarding juvenile
play which await serious research."
-Professor David F. Lancy, Anthropology, Utah State
University, USA
"Peter Smith's book, Children and Play, is what one would
expect from one of the leading figures in the field of play.
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of evolutionary theory and the
human developmental and comparative play literatures, Smith
presents a comprehensive picture of the complexities of the place
of play in human development as well as measured analyses of its
place in schools. This book is a crowning achievement to his close
to 40 years of careful study of the field. I learned a great deal
from it."
-Professor Anthony D. Pellegrini, Educational
Psychology, University of Minnesota, USA
"This book is an excellent synthesis of what is currently known
about the play of children. Peter Smith, one of the leading
play researchers of our time, sheds new light on some long-debated
issues such as the definition of play, play's role in
development and evolution, and the relationship between play and
culture. In addition, individual chapters provide rich detail about
particular types of play, including the much neglected category of
physical play. The volume concludes with a very interesting
discussion of practical issues, including parental involvement in
play, play's role in education, the importance of school recess,
and war play. I was very impressed with Professor
Smith's balanced, objective discussion of play
research. He effectively argues for a "middle
way" of viewing play, a view that neither idealizes nor
denigrates its importance in the lives of children."
-Professor James Christie, Curriculum and Instruction,
Arizona State University, USA
Peter K. Smith is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is co-author of Understanding Children's Development and co-editor of The Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development and of The Nature of Play: Great Apes and Humans. He has written widely on children's play, especially pretend play training, and rough-and-tumble play.
