Play and childhoods

This unit will examine play as a pedagogical construct. You will investigate both historical and contemporary approaches to defining and theorising play. Developing an understanding that play is culturally and socially defined, you will examine the role of play across multiple childhoods and their worlds. Critiquing dominant ideas of play they will engage in examining how cross-cultural variations, collective relationships, digital spaces and the range of play contexts in which children find themselves today influence children’s access to, and interpretation of, play in their worlds. You will explore notions of playfulness across generations including your own experiences with playfulness to develop skills and knowledge of how they might support and lead playful learning environments. Drawing on contemporary theoretical perspectives of play, and with the use of current curriculum frameworks, you will formulate a personal position statement about the role of play as a pedagogical construct to support children’s learning that is connected to their worlds.