Play Culture in a Changing World

1 Meet the children, their parents, and the practitioners who work with them

2 In general: The changing world we live in

3 From the general to the particular: What is children’s play culture?

4 Competitions and games in children’s play culture

5 Games of chance and luck in children’s play culture: Alea

6 The world of make-believe 1: Family play scenarios

7 The world of make-believe 2: Play scenarios that are about having ‘adventures’ and fights

8 Fooling about in play: The ‘dizzy’ side of play culture

9 Play that defies categorization

10 Gender and children's play culture

11 Adults and play

12 Changes in children's play culture

The cultural context in which children grow up has a powerful influence on the way they play. At a time of rapid change in post-industrial societies, childhood play is changing to reflect children’s experiences. Adults need to understand that children have their own play culture, which might be different from that of the adults’ own childhoods.

Enlivened by the voices of young children engaged in contemporary play, this accessible book enables readers to re-evaluate the contribution of play in childhood. It explores the persistence of fundamental play themes alongside new variations on traditional themes, including:

• Competitions and games
• Games of chance and luck
• The world of make-believe
• ‘Dizzy play’

This book helps adults to be reflective and to encourage children’s play by understanding and valuing their play culture. It is important reading for early years students and practitioners.