Play is a concept that crosses over many different aspects of children and young people’s lives. This can include developmental, educational, recreational and therapeutic contexts. Perceptions of play can vary from an adult, child, practice and policy perspective. All these aspects are considered in relation to how play is researched at Swansea University.
The Department of Education and Childhood Studies have two leading play researchers, namely Dr Pete King and Dr Justine Howard. Their research, both collaboratively and individually has been published both nationally and internationally. The most recent collaborative research published has been a study of the play workforce in Wales, whilst individually Dr Justine Howard is currently involved in the use of play to support adversity and Dr Pete King’s research focuses on the process of play within the ‘Play Cycle’.
In 2022, a call was made by Folklorists Anna Beresin and Julia Bishop for contributions to a planned book Play in a Covid Frame: Everyday Pandemic Creativity in a Time of Isolation. The call resulted in contributions from around the world, including a chapter by Dr Pete King of DECS, based on their longitudinal study of the impact of COVID-19 on playwork. The edited book received The Opie Prize by the Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society for 2023-2024.
Videos
The videos below are based on the initial theory of the Play Cycle introduced by Gordon Sturrock and Professor Perry Else, and developed in the research undertaken by Dr Pete King and Dr Shelly Newstead. The first video looks at the Play Cycle in a nutshell and the second video looks more closely at the Observation Method of the Play Cycle.
The PARS SIG – The Play Cycle is a research and practice-based forum to share the theory and practice on the application of the Play Cycle. You can join the PARS SIG – The Play Cycle at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/383108746955317/
King, P., & Howard, J. (2022a). The Play Workforce in Wales – Perceptions from Local Authority Play Sufficiency Lead Officers. International Journal of Playwork Practice, 2(1), Article 1.
King, P., & Howard, J. (2022b). The Play Workforce in Wales – An Exploratory Demographic Study. International Journal of Playwork Practice, 2(1), Article 1.
King, P. (2022). A Theoretical Expansion of the Play Cycle Jakob von Uexküll’s Functional Cycle and the Perceptual Cue. American Journal of Play, 14(2), 173-187.
