(Re)Claiming Play: A Community Movement Toward Playfulness

• In Event: Family, School, Community Partnerships’ Leadership and Reform

Abstract

The study reported in this presentation examines facilitating factors and barriers to children and families’ play in the community. Employing a critical framework, data were co-constructed alongside caregivers of children nine years of age and younger through individual interviews, focus groups, and online surveys. A grounded theory was co-constructed that suggests an interdependence of several multifaceted factors to play: adult playfulness, adequate community play opportunities, adequate opportunities for whole wellness, school and early learning setting opportunities and narratives around play, and awareness and prioritization of play. Action research outputs, including creating a non-profit organization surrounding the theory, are described. The paper presented has implications for understanding family, school, and community collaboration opportunities to support play.

Author

• Whitney Danielle Blaisdell, University of Regina