Articles on play by leading researchers

Chaos at home and infants’ play: Your baby may be more adaptable than you think

According to a new video study, there is no evidence that physical manifestations of chaos at home negatively affect the quality of infants’ play.

Katelyn FletcherOctober 2020

Parents supporting children’s learning at home

Cognitive Development (4-12)

How parents can support children’s learning at home

What are child development scientists advising parents to do about learning at home during COVID-19 lockdowns?

Miriam FisherOctober 2020

Children learn through play – and they know it!

It has been established that children are aware that they are effectively, learning through the medium of play.

Play and Learning Scholars Around the World (PALS)June 2020

Parents know best: How you can play and learn at the same time

Thinking that it’s play versus learning misses the point; these are inextricably linked.

Play and Learning Scholars Around the World (PALS)May 2020

Cognitive Development (4-12)

Learning through play: more than laughter and smiles

Positive emotions are often included in definitions of play, but children experience many feelings during play. These offer crucial opportunities to further their learning and…

Play and Learning Scholars Around the World (PALS)May 2020

Cognitive Development (4-12)

Play could help reduce ‘Covid-19 Slump’ in learning

How play can help reduce the Covid-19 slump in learning, which is practically relevant to disadvantaged children during Covid-19 crisis

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta M. GolinkoffApril 2020

Cognitive Development (0-3)

When Latino and African American fathers play sensitively with their toddlers, performance in math is likely to be higher at kindergarten

The overall sensitivity of the fathers during play in this sample of 312 families - 119 African American fathers and 193 Latino fathers - was…

Child & Family Blog EditorFebruary 2020

Secure attachment: how father-child play can help

Researchers have found that fathers who stimulate their 9-month-olds during play are more likely to enjoy secure attachment 3 to 9 months later.

Child & Family Blog EditorFebruary 2020

Positive coparenting between mothers and fathers is associated with more involvement by fathers in caring for and playing with their children

The coparenting study contributes to our growing understanding of how complex family systems operate, with different relationships influencing each other.

Child & Family Blog EditorFebruary 2020

play

We have invited the world’s leading authorities to write about their conclusions on play.

Play is vital for child development. The impacts of play deprivation illustrate this: isolation, depression, reduced self-control, poor resilience, even criminality.

How parents can support children’s learning at home

Play could help reduce ‘Covid-19 Slump’ in learning

When Latino and African American fathers play sensitively with their toddlers, performance in math is likely to be higher at kindergarten

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play

We have invited the world’s leading authorities to write about their conclusions on play. Play is vital for child development. The impacts of play deprivation illustrate this: isolation, depression, reduced self-control, poor resilience, even criminality.

Explore

Social

We have invited the world’s leading authorities to write about their conclusions on play.

Play is vital for child development. The impacts of play deprivation illustrate this: isolation, depression, reduced self-control, poor resilience, even criminality.