Early childhood educators (ECEs) greatly influence young children's physical activity and sedentary behaviors in childcare and psychosocial factors have been found to influence their teaching practices in this environment. This study sought to determine which personal and professional characteristics predicted ECEs' self-efficacy, behavioral…

The study creates the development of the Experiential Learning Management Model (ELMM) for early childhood education, rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach. The Reggio Emilia approach, established in the 1960s in northern Italy, emphasizes collaborative learning among children, educators, and parents. This educational philosophy cultivates an…

This article challenges anthropocentric views of childhood by adopting a posthumanist, new materialist perspective, positioning sand as an active agent in children's world-making. Conducted through speculative, post-qualitative methodologies on a Scottish beach with two young children, this study disrupts traditional developmentalist and…

Several studies have been conducted in recent years into the effects of gamification on learner motivation. However, little is known about how learner profiles affect the impact of specific game elements. This article analyzes the effect of a gamified mathematic learning environment on the motivation and the motivated behaviors of 258 learners in…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions play an important role in many young children's lives. Child-oriented research about the role of the physical ECEC environment in children's play is scarce. The present study aims to develop knowledge about what children consider crucial elements in the physical ECEC environment. Seventy-one…

An indirect connection between executive functioning and imagination was revealed earlier in the study of pretend play. This study aimed to explore the relationship between imagination and executive functions in children. Two-hundred-six typically developing children aged 6-7 years were assessed with main executive functions (working memory,…

Delays in social and communication skills are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Structured play groups (SPGs) was deemed an evidence-based practice (EBP) for children with ASD. A critical review of research published within the past 16 years and accessible in four databases was conducted with a total of 3,153 articles identified of…

The paper contains two different studies on preschool children's physical activity at indoor playground markings. Both of these studies are designed as two-factor experiments. Participants were children (N=87, 41 females, 46 males; Mage= 66.4 months) from an urban public preschool. Two main hallways of the school were painted with playground…

Writing gives children a way to share their voices and ideas with the world. Even in early childhood, the purpose of writing is to communicate. All young children have messages to share, and writing is one tool they can use to communicate those messages. For young children, it is quite challenging to form and remember messages while also figuring…

Play is a fundamental activity for experiences, learning and development among children in their early years. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions' play environments, their features and design, are therefore of great importance for the opportunities provided for children to create and engage in a wide range of play. This study…

This study investigated how specific characteristics of multipiece, miniature, realistic play props (thematically open-ended village set versus thematically closed-ended train set) designed to enhance children's pretense influenced their scenario creativity, object transformations, and the frequency and use of specific internal-state language. The…

It is obviously known that young children learn best through play-based, community-based and project-based approaches to learning. Play is an every thing for children through which they experience the world. A child playing is practicing minds-on, hearts-on and hands-on activities. This study was aimed at the exploration of play-based instruction…

Movement and mobility are a significant aspect of early childhood. Assistive technology and adapted mobility can be a critical aspect of the early intervention process by promoting access to play, the environment, social opportunities, and development of visual perceptual and navigational skills. This case study describes the design, materials,…

Participatory, rights-based methodologies in childhood studies have explored conditions that realise children's rights to participation. One avenue of investigation has been to explore assent procedures that respect children's rights to make informed decisions about participation. Less attention has been directed towards the ways in which children…

Intergenerational playgroups purposively bring older people, young children and their caregivers together to engage in play and develop reciprocal relationships. Intergenerational research focuses on the benefits for participants, with much less known about how these programmes sustain. This paper discusses and explores programme sustainability…