The home play environment: the Play and Learning in the Early Years (PLEY) study

Abstract

Play in the home environment is important for cognitive and socio-emotional development in early childhood. Children’s home environments are made up of multiple play activities (e.g., toys, books, screen time, outdoor play) and are influenced by multiple factors (e .g., availability of resources, parenting behaviours, parental attitudes to play, socio-economic class, parents’ education). This chapter will describe the relevant literature and rationale that led to the Play and Learning in Early Years (PLEY) Study, an online survey of over 300 parents of children aged 6 or under, which measured play activities at home in early childhood and the factors that influence it. The findings of this broad survey shed light on various elements of play in the home environment for young children, such as the time spent in outdoor play, reading/storytime, playing with toys or games and on-screen time, for weekdays as well as weekends. The data collected in this survey also highlight the level of play resources for young children in the home environment such as the number of children’s books available, access to outdoor play equipment (e.g., bicycles, trampolines) and use of screen devices (e.g., television, tablet, smartphone, laptop). This research provides a timely snapshot of the play activities of young children today and discusses the importance of the home play environment. The findings from the PLEY Study are contextualised using a bioecological systems framework, which highlights the connection between the environment and child development.