Rethinking Children's Play (New Childhoods) (Paperback)
Rethinking Children's Play examines attitudes towards, and experiences of, children's play. Fraser Brown and Michael Patte draw on a wide range of thought, research and practice from different fields and countries to debate, challenge and re-appraise long held beliefs, attitudes and ways of working and living with children in the play environment.
Children need to play and the benefits of play are many and varied, but they are too often underestimated by parents, educators, politicians and society in general. The authors apply a playwork perspective to a wide range of settings populated by children, both formal and informal, to explore the idea that children's learning and development derives substantially from their opportunities to engage with a rich play environment that is supportive of the play process. Thoughts are provoked through examples of research, reflections on research, activities, key points and guidance on further reading. Rethinking Children's Play is essential for all those studying childhood at undergraduate and graduate level and of great interest to those working with children in any field.
Fraser Brown is Reader in Playwork at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, where he is Course Leader of the BA Playwork. He was Director of the playwork training agency Children First, has held advisory posts with Playboard and the NPFA and managed a range of projects for the North West Play Association. Michael Patte is a Distinguished Fulbright Scholar of Playwork and Associate Professor of Education at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA. He is president of The Association for the Study of Play and co-editor of the International Journal of Play.