Research
PlayBoard promotes research and guidance to improve knowledge and understanding about play
Having time and space to play gives children the opportunity to meet and socialise with their friends, keeps them physically active, and gives the freedom to choose what they want to do.
Research shows that play has many benefits for children, families and the wider community, as well as improving health and quality of life.
REPORTS, RESEARCH & GUIDANCE
NICCY - Leisure, Play and Culture
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) (2009), (Chapter), Leisure, Play and Culture, in Children’s Rights: Rhetoric or Reality. A Review of Children’s Rights in Northern Ireland 2007/08, pages 312-349, Belfast: NICCY.
(Attach PDF) chapter
Play for a change – Play, Policy and Practice: A review of contemporary perspectives
Play England have published a comprehensive review of the evidence underpinning current thinking on play.
It provides a detailed analysis of research and literature published since 2001 that underpins contemporary understandings of the importance of play and how this relates to social policy and practice.
(Attach PDF) Summary report
Best Play – What play provision should do for children
A joint publication from The National Playing Fields association. Playlink and the former children’s play council. The report looks into the benefits of play for children, as well as the consequences of inadequate play provision.
(Attach PDF Copy of report)
Play Report
IKEA have released research called Play Report. It involved 11,000 interviews in 25 countries resulting in a detailed report and a number of short films in which children from around the world talk about playing. They spoke to 8,000 parents and 3,000 children aged 7-12
You can download the report and see the short films online at the Make the world play more Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/playreport
Current Research on Play
The Children's Play Information Service (CPIS) aims to collect details of current research related to children’s play and informal recreation. To access the database: http://www.ncb.org.uk/cpis/home.aspx
Child Friendly Cities
A Child Friendly City is a local system of good governance committed to fulfilling children's rights http://www.childfriendlycities.org
Children's Right to Play: An examination of the Importance of Play in the lives of children worldwide (authors: Wendy Russell and Stuard Lester)
In this working paper Wendy Russell and Stuart Lester of the UK's University of Gloucestershire discuss why play is fundamental to the health and well-being of children. They argue that both state signitories to the UNCRC (Article 31 of which enshrines the right to play) and adults generally should take seriously the importance of providing suitable conditions for children to play. In the words of Gordon Burghardt, quoted in the working paper "The problem of defining play and its role is one of the greatest challenges facing neuroscience, behavioural biology, psychology, education and the social sciences generally... only when we understand the nature of play will we be able to understand how to better shape the destinies of human societies in a mutual dependant world, the future of our species and perhaps even the fate of the biosphere itself"
To download a copy click here
