Recent evidence-based research (2001 - Play Scotland

1 The Benefits of play and PlayworkRecent evidence - based research ( 2001 2006 ) demonstratingthe impact and benefits of play and playworkBeth Manwaring & Chris TaylorThe Community and Youth Workers UnionTHE BENEFITS OF play AND PLAYWORK2 Much of the time most of us continue unwittingly with our frivolous play pursuits, unaware that we are despised by others except when the hegemony of those others suddenly makes itself felt as forms of rudeness, censorship, banishment, annulment or cancellation. In scholarship the denigration of play in intellectual terms is shown by the absence of the key term play from the index of almost every book about the behaviour of human beings. It is true that increasedresearch attention has been given to play within psychology in recentdecades, and within biology throughout this century, but there is stillmuch more resistance to the subject than is justified, given its universalrole in human behaviour.

2 From my point of view, regarding play asfrivolous is itself a frivolous , B. (2001) The Ambiguity of play , Harvard University PressAcknowledgementsThe starting point for The Benefits of play and playwork research project were existing evidenced- based literature reviews, in particular Cole-Hamilton, I. et al (2001) Making the Case for play : Gathering the evidence , Children s play Council, Coalter,F. and Taylor, J. (2001) Realising the Potential: The case for cultural services play , Local Government Association and NPFA(2000) Best play : What play provision should do for would like to thank Issy Cole-Hamilton and Anna Kassman-McKerrell at the Children s play Council and the Children sPlay Information Service for their optimistic support from the BENEFITS OF play AND PLAYWORK3 Appendices (available as PDF) Summaries 1.

3 Andrews, C. (20/05/2005) Children Visiting Prison. Can it be made easier? The Friend Independent Quaker Journal2. Barraclough, N., Bennington, J. and Green, S. (2004)Delivering play Spaces in NDC Areas: research report 38,Centre for Regional Economic and Social research SheffieldHallam University 3. Blake Stevenson Ltd (2003) Assessment of the Benefits and Costs of Out of School Care, The Scottish Executive 4. Brown, F. (2003) Compound Flexibility: The role of playworkin child development. In: Brown, F. (ed) playwork Theory andPractice, Open University Press pp 51-65 5. Brown, F. and Webb, S. (2003) playwork in adversity workingwith abandoned children in Romania. In: Brown, F. (ed) PlayworkTheory and Practice, Open University Press pp 157-1756.

4 Brown, F. and Webb, S. (February 2005) Children WithoutPlay, Article for the Journal of Education 7. Casey, T. (2002) play Inclusive Action research Project, The Yard8. Edwards, L. and Hatch, B. (2003) Passing Time: A report aboutyoung people and communities, Institute of Public Policy research 9. Hughes, B. (2003) play deprivation, play bias and playworkpractice. In Brown, F. (ed) playwork Theory and Practice, OpenUniversity Press pp 66 8010. Hughes, B. (2003) play Deprivation, play Wales briefing paper11. ICM (2004) Young Londoners Survey: Report on keyfindings, Greater London Authority 12. Lester, S. and Maudsley, M. ( 2006 ) play , Naturally: A review of children s natural play , playwork Partnerships 13. Ludvigsen, A., Creegan, C. and Mills, H.

5 (2005) Lets PlayTogether: play and inclusion evaluation of better play roundthree, Barnardo s14. Mackett, R. (2004) Reducing Children s Car Use: The healthand potential car dependency impacts, Centre for TransportStudies, University College London15. Murray, R. and O Brien, L. (2005) Such Enthusiasm a Joy to See: An evaluation of Forest School in England, Forest research and the New Economics Foundation 16. Palmer, M. (2002) Reflections on Adventure play (Parts 1 and 2), A video tape17. Rogers, S. (2005) Role play in Reception Classes,Economic and Social research Council 18. Russell, W. ( 2006 ) Reframing playwork Reframing ChallengingBehaviour Nottingham City Council March 2005 March 200619. Stratton, G. (2002) Promoting Health Related PhysicalActivity in Primary School Playgrounds: research monograph,REACH Group, Liverpool John Moores University 20.

6 Thomas, G. and Thompson, G. (2004) A Child s Place: Whyenvironment matters to children, A Green Alliance / Demos report21. Thomas, S. and Bradburne, J. ( 2006 ) Making PlayfulLearning Visible22. Van den Berg, C., Van Ree, J., Spruijt, B. (1999) play Deprivation Decreases Adult Social Behaviour, RudolfMagnus Institute for Neuroscience, Utrecht University23. Woolby, H., Armitage, M., Bishop, J., Curtis, M. and Ginsberg,J. ( 2006 ) Informing Change: Inclusion of disabled children inprimary school playgrounds, Joseph Rowntree Foundation24. Worpole, K. (2005) Making play Space in the City. In Groundwork play , Participation Potential: Putting youngpeople at the heart of communities 25. Worpole, K. (2005) No Particular Place to Go? Children,Young People and Public Space, Groundwork 26.

7 Youlden, P. and Harrison, S. ( 2006 ) The Better PlayProgramme 2000-2005: An evaluation, Youlden HarrisonAssociates for Children s play Council and Barnardo s supporting texts:1. Coalter, F. and Taylor, J. (2001) Realising the Potential: The case for cultural services play , Local GovernmentAssociation 2. Cole-Hamilton, I. et al (2001) Making the Case for play :Gathering the evidence , Children s play Council 3. NPFA (2000) Best play : What play provision should do for Education and Learning Benefits of play and Health and Well-Being Benefits of play and Economic Benefits of play and Social Benefits of play and Developmental and Behavioural Benefits of play and Negative Results of play Deprivation BENEFITS OF play AND Up for PlayThe Community and Youth Workers Union (CYWU) firsthad a playwork representative on its national executivecommittee in the late nineteen that time we have slowly but surely campaigned fora number of things: we believe that playwork should berecognised by society so that it achieves significant publicinvestment and is able to function as a statutory servicewith a permanent funding base.

8 We believe that thosedelivering this provision should be trained to the higheststandards: once being trained we believe that playworkersshould be considered highly qualified professionals with a professional rate of have been delighted to work with SkillsActive andother partners to ensure that there is a robust nationalqualifications framework in place and more funding forplaywork. We have been pleased to support dozens ofplayworkers in their workplaces and to campaign withthem for more investment and better terms and have enjoyed good relationships with many MPs,MSPs and AMs and members of the House of Lords inpromoting progressive policies to expand play then felt it was time to take stock and consider twothings. We wanted to commission some research into the cutting edge, most up to date arguments that justify more public investment in playwork .

9 This excellent report is a product of that second great hope is that playworkers will eventuallysquare the circle and join us in a campaign to raise thelevel of salaries of playworkers. Only by doing this will weconsolidate ourselves into a profession. If we do this wewill gain the status we deserve as skilled our status will benefit the children with whomwe work immeasurably. I appeal to all readers of this report to assist us in fulfillingthis last essential requirement. Join us and play your partin the Pay Up for play campaign in am sure that you will find this report and Unionmembership of use to NichollsGeneral SecretaryThe Community and Youth Workers The Benefits of play and playwork and the Impacts of play DeprivationTHE BENEFITS OF play AND PLAYWORK5 Defining play , playwork and play SettingsPlay is a form of behaviour, which has been recognisedthroughout time.

10 playwork is an emerging professionwhich can arguably be traced back to the mid-Victorianera. play settings can be as old as the natural environmentor as new as the most recently opened extended school. This research focuses on the inextricable relationshipbetween play , playwork and the playwork setting. Whilstmodest in scope, in terms of time, the availability ofresearch and current funding, it feels useful at the outsetto state the epistemological orientations of the that concern themselves with human behaviour,work and social settings tend to be found within threebroad traditions: the scientific, social constructionist andapplied approaches. These three traditions characterisethe study of childhood and provide a useful orientation for future research into play and playwork .