Holistic STEAM programs can benefit children by allowing them to develop an intersecting identity in STEAM disciplines, explore real-world issues more broadly, think critically and innovatively, solve problems using integrated approaches, and have confidence across multiple fields of study. Much of the current research situates identity…

Risky play provides multiple benefits for children's development. This study compared teachers' perceptions of risky play in one kindergarten in Norway and one in China, including the concept of risky play, the roles of teachers, the protective strategies adopted, and the factors limiting the practice of risky play. The aim of the article is to…

Background: Play is essential for child growth and development, and may have academic and social-emotional implications. To understand the relationship between in-school play opportunities and academic achievement (AA) and social-emotional well-being among elementary school students, a systematic review of the current in-school play literature was…

Background: Computational approaches in STEM foster creative extrapolations of ideas that extend the bounds of human perception, processing, and sense-making. Inviting teachers to explore computational approaches in STEM presents opportunities to examine shifting relationships to inquiry that support transdisciplinary learning in their classrooms.…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Play Practice instruction on the badminton content knowledge and skill of a cohort of Chinese physical education majors. Method: Seventy-two second-year students participated in semester-long courses following either the principles of Play Practice or skill-focused instruction. A…

Studies about child development emphasize the importance of play in children's early years. However, there is an existing controversy about the role educators should have in young children's free play. This research work studies the approach to early playful activity from Pikler-Lóczy education. A systematic observation was conducted to deepen in…

Preschool children have the capacity to engage in scientific practices and inquiry and develop understanding at a conceptual level. While engaging in inquiry with preschool students, teachers transition from being transmitters of knowledge to facilitators in the educational process as students take on an active role in this learner-centered…

We examined the evolution of social pretend play in toddlers and tested whether children's age, gender, and language abilities were associated with changes in social pretend play over time. We employed a unique observational data set that followed 28 children (M[subscript age] = 27 months old; 57% boys) with each of two unfamiliar peers over 18…

The frequency and length of games, conflicts, and contingency sequences that took place between toddlers as they got to know one another were studied using archival data. The sample consisted of 28 unfamiliar 20- and 30-month-old toddlers (predominantly White, 16 males) who met separately with each of two other toddlers for 18 play dates. The…

Emerging research suggests overrepresentation of gender diversity among autistic youth. Previous gender diversity research with autistic children has relied on parent-report based on a single question. The "Gender Diversity Screening Questionnaire--Self-Report and Parent-Report" assessed gender diversity experiences from 244 children…

This study investigated play perceptions and practices reported by 298 Hong Kong mothers of children aged two to six. Content analysis was conducted to categorize the views of participating mothers from thirteen kindergartens, with a focus on exploring differences in mothers' socioeconomic status and their child's gender. The results showed that…

We investigated the role of physical characteristics of kindergartens' outdoor play areas in teacher-rated physical aggression (PAgg) among 423 children followed annually from ages two to four years. We used data from the Behaviour Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study which follows children from southeast Norway, a country where almost all two-…

We extended research on social skills training to determine if the activities first-grade students were engaged in while Tootling would influence their performance of two recently trained social skills: complimenting and encouraging peers. After receiving social skills training, students engaged in two experimental small-group activities, a…

In this article, we demonstrate how playful learning serves to provide optimal learning opportunities through teacher-guided play. First, we describe the theoretical design principles that can be leveraged to support mathematical learning for students that have been underserved. Then, we provide concrete examples of evidence-based games that can…

In this article, the focus is on the entangled relations between digital technology, art activities, mathematics, literacy and children in Swedish preschool ateliers. As part of an ethnographic study, the researcher follows how children use digital technologies and non-digital materials (such as shells, pens, paper, wood, bubble wrap and light) to…