Child's Play

by Debbie Reese

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Who are your children’s heroes? What are their favorite play themes? Favorite toys? Are they similar to your own childhood heroes, play themes, or toys? Ask any adult about their childhood play, and you will likely see a far-off look come to their eyes as they think back to those early days. A moment of reflection brings a smile as the person recounts fond memories of playing outdoors with marbles or jacks, or playing indoors with a train or tea set.

In 1994, researcher Michael L. Henniger asked adult undergraduate and graduate students to think back to their own childhood and remember a favorite play experience. Henniger found that 40 percent of the participants in the study indicated they engaged in dramatic play more often than other types of play. They described acting out roles of real and imagined people and animals, and indicated they used naturally occurring items as play objects (trees, rocks, dirt, and water) more often than commercially produced toys. The study results also found that the older adults (graduate students) had no memory of playing with commercially produced toys, but the younger adults (undergraduate students) do remember playing with toys. Finally, playing outdoors was recalled with greater frequency among older adults than younger ones. The undergraduates indicated their parents were afraid they might be kidnapped or be victims of molestation, and were not eager to let them play outdoors alone (Henniger, 1994).

Anyone who spends time with young children knows how much they delight in pretending to "be" someone other than themselves. Most of us can remember how much we enjoyed role-play when we were children. Is the hero your child chooses to be the same one you or your parents chose as children?

Not likely, according to the research conducted by researchers Judy French (Boise State University) and Sally Pena (the Idaho Migrant Council). They studied young children’s hero play and found that hero play changed dramatically with the advent of television. Prior to television, young children looked to their parents and other adults in their neighborhood or community as a source of ideas for their dramatic play, even if the emulation was subconscious. Before television entered America’s homes, the dramatic play young children engaged in emulated their parents’ work and activities. Most mothers were not working outside the home and play developed naturally--parents did not plan or organize playtime (Prescott & Reynolds, 1992). Children acted out family themes (house, taking care of baby, etc.) or based their play on activities of real people (teacher, nurse, store clerk, policeman, fireman, etc.) in their lives. Those types of play are significant opportunities for children to act out commonplace events and subtle activities of daily life. Further, these play themes may help children grow into well-rounded, emotionally healthy people (French & Pena, 1991).

Today, preschool children often choose to engage in heroic adventure play in which fantasy or superheroes are their favorite characters to emulate. For the most part, the children say these characters are brave and courageous. However, the characters may not possess a broader range of qualities (such as kindness, helpfulness, gentleness) that favorite heroes of the pre-television era did. Researchers express a concern that this shift may be depriving preschool children of the opportunity to act out commonplace, everyday activities that prepare them for interacting fully with other people (French & Pena, 1991).

In light of these studies, parents may want to use this information as they select preschool and child care programs for their children. It is important that preschool and child care programs include time for unstructured, open-ended dramatic and outdoor play.

Sources

French, Judy, & Pena, Sally. (1991). Children’s hero play of the 20^th century: Changes resulting from television’s influence. Child Study Journal, 21, 79-94.

Henniger, Michael L. (1994). Adult perceptions of favorite childhood play experiences. Early Child Development and Care, 99, 23-30.

Prescott, Elizabeth, & Reynolds, Gretchen. (1992). The play’s the thing: Teacher’s roles in children’s play. New York: Teachers College Press.

Credits

April 1998; Published monthly by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Children's Research Center, 51 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61820-7469. This publication was funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no. DERR93002007. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Department of Education.

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