Investigates the ability of 2-year-old children to pretend that one thing is another. Results indicate that when one thing is substituted for another, pretending varies as a function of the number of substitutions. (LLK)

This paper explores strategies by which adults can intervene in children's play activities. The five intervention strategies discussed focus on (1) time and space, (2) adult guidance, (3) play materials, (4) boundaries, and (5) roles. The first strategy involves providing time and space in daily schedules and environments for children to play. The…

The relative effectiveness of four different training conditions on the attainment of conservation of quantity was examined in a 5-Group design. Subjects were 75 nonconserving preschoolers, ranging in age from 3.10 to 5.0 years. Treatment consisted of five conditions: (1) pretense play training, (2) direct conservation training, (3) a combination…

This study provides evidence of sex-typed behavior in the spontaneous play of infants between 9 1/2 and 15 1/2 months. Eight boys and eight girls at 9 1/2, 11 1/2, 13 1/2, and 15 1/2 months were observed during 15 minutes of free play with a variety of realistic toys equally divided into male, female, and neutral categories. Stereotypical,…

Noncompetitive but physically vigorous games are described. These activities are designed for two players and for large groups. (JD)

National Children's Island provides a central place of art, education, culture and heritage for children and a headquarters for national groups whose primary interest is in child development. (For availability see EA 507 194.) (Author/MLF)

The link between the quality of attachment in infancy and the quality of play and problem-solving behavior at age two years was examined in 48 infants. (Author/JMB)

This article offers suggestions for games, contests, and festive entertainments for community enjoyment. (JD)

Twenty infants were observed interacting with their mothers and fathers at home when they were 7, 8, 12, and 13 months of age. No parental preference was found in the infants' attachment behaviors. Differences were found in the infants' affiliative behaviors, in their responses to parental play, and in situations in which they were held by…

This study examined the initial cognitive shifts marking the onset of fantasy episodes for 16 4-year-old children (4 boy-pairs and 4 girl-pairs). The children's dyadic social interactions were videotaped in three 1-hour play sessions and 90 spontaneously occurring cases of fantasy were analyzed. (Author/JMB)

This study examined the relation between symbolic play training and conservation in 30 middle-class nonconserving 4-year-old children. Results showed that 13 experimental subjects manifested some change in solving conservation problems after symbolic play training while only one control subject showed any change toward conservation on the…

Two experiments contrasted the effects of several methods of initiating the play activity of elementary school children on children's willingness to persist in an initially interesting activity. (Author)

The study reports the effects of a reinforcement program on social behaviors of three preschool children who displayed inappropriate behaviors during peer interactions. The program was effective in increasing cooperative play by at least 50 percent over baseline, and the behavior changes were maintained when tokens were withdrawn. (Author/CL)