1300 187 187
Childrena (TM)s play throughout history has been free, spontaneous, and intertwined with work, set in the playgrounds of the fields, streams, and barnyards. Children in cities enjoyed similar forms of play but their playgrounds were the vacant lands and parks. Today, children have become increasingly inactive, abandoning traditional outdoor play for sedentary, indoor cyber play and poor diets. The consequences of play deprivation, the elimination and diminution of recess, and the abandonment of outdoor play are fundamental issues in a growing crisis that threatens the health, development, and welfare of children.
This valuable book traces the history of childrena (TM)s play and play environments from their roots in ancient Greece and Rome to the present time in the high stakes testing environment. Through this exploration, scholar Dr. Joe Frost shows how this history informs where we are today and why we need to re-establish play as a priority. Ultimately, the author proposes active solutions to play deprivation. This book is a must-read for scholars, researchers, and students in the fields of early childhood education and child development.
"The book is highly readable for the general public, and invaluable for education professionals...I can think of few books of more value for parents and educators to read than this one. It is must reading for all persons interested in the welfare and education of children."--Childhood Education "As a hybrid of scholarship and advocacy, as a general survey of play movements and play environments, and as a passionate manifesto for reviving the role of play policy for the next century, A History of Children's Play and Play Environments constructs a social history of play in America that is determined to prove the beneficial role of play and the pathological consequences of "play deprivation."--American Journal of Play "Dr. Joe Frost's extensive background as a scholar and researcher of play is evident in his book."--Teachers College Record "This comprehensive examination of play philosophy, trends, cultural differences, policies, and practices through history is a 'must read' for play scholars, researchers, and play advocates. Well-referenced for the play scholar but very readable for the lay person, this book traces the roots of contemporary challenges and documents the need for a 'child saving movement' to restore children's opportunities for play. Informative and compelling!" --Olga Jarrett, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, Georgia State University and President, American Association for the Child's Right to Play (IPA/USA) "Joe Frost, an esteemed pioneer in his field, has produced a must read for everyone concerned about the health and well-being of children. A History of Children's Play and Play Environments is a wake up call to the essential need to bring back unstructured play and the dire consequences for an increasingly sedentary society."-- Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
| List of Figures | p. xi |
| List of Tables | p. xiii |
| Foreword | p. xv |
| Preface | p. xvii |
| Acknowledgments | p. xix |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Early Historical Views on Children's Play | p. 9 |
| Children's Play in Ancient Greece and Rome | p. 9 |
| The Play of Medieval Children | p. 13 |
| Irrational Play, Child Abuse, and Accidents in Medieval Times | p. 17 |
| Reformation and Renaissance Philosophers/Educators on Play | p. 19 |
| Pre-modern Philosophers on Play | p. 22 |
| Friedrich Froebel: The Architect of the Kindergarten or "Garden for Children" | p. 26 |
| Linking the Contributions of Early Scholars | p. 31 |
| Play and Play Environments in Early America | p. 34 |
| Play and Play Environments of Native American and Early Settlers' Children | p. 35 |
| The Changing Picture of Early Colonists' Play | p. 38 |
| Girls at Play in Nineteenth Century New England | p. 39 |
| Boys at Play in Nineteenth Century New England | p. 42 |
| Playing in the Country: Hunting, Fishing, War, and Recess | p. 44 |
| The Western Frontier: Work, Play, Muddy Roads, and Wilderness | p. 47 |
| The Play of Slave Children: "Play Is Fun, Work Is Hard" | p. 54 |
| Culture, Circumstance, and Play | p. 60 |
| The Early Child-Saving Movement: Shame of the Cities | p. 62 |
| Victims of a Stolen Childhood | p. 63 |
| Irrational Play: Begging, Picking Pockets, and Outwitting the Police | p. 66 |
| Settlement Houses and Playgrounds for the Poor | p. 69 |
| Orphan Trains, Farms, Coal Mines, and Factories | p. 73 |
| Enduring Elements of the Child-Saving Movement | p. 75 |
| Setting the Stage for a Twenty-First Century Child-Saving Movement | p. 82 |
| The Evolution of the Play and Playground Movement | p. 84 |
| Early New York: "City Where Crime Is Play" | p. 85 |
| The Many Faces of the Play and Playground Movement | p. 89 |
| Stages of Play Environment Development | p. 98 |
| The New Psychology and the Institutionalization of Play and Playgrounds | p. 100 |
| The Playground Association of America (PAA) | p. 103 |
| The Normal Course in Play | p. 105 |
| Successes and Limitations of the Play and Playground Movement | p. 108 |
| Play and the Child Study Movement: Nursery Schools, Kindergartens, and the Developmental Approach to Play | p. 111 |
| Play and Child Development in Kindergartens | p. 112 |
| The Child Study Movement and the New Psychology | p. 117 |
| Applying the New Psychology to Education | p. 119 |
| Play and the "Whole Child" | p. 122 |
| Child Development Becomes a Scientific Discipline | p. 126 |
| The Emergence of Professional Organizations Advocating Play | p. 132 |
| Decades of Promise and Gathering Storms | p. 136 |
| Play during Hard Times: The Great Depression | p. 138 |
| Bursting the Economic Bubble and the Dreams of Americans | p. 139 |
| Pleasant and Not-So-Pleasant Memories | p. 143 |
| Stories from Children of the Depression | p. 152 |
| Double Trouble: The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl | p. 157 |
| Play and Play Environments of City Children during the Depression | p. 163 |
| The Awakening | p. 170 |
| Natural, Built, and Adventure Play Environments: Back to Nature | p. 173 |
| Natural Play Environments: Wilderness, Vacant Lots, Habitats, and Gardens | p. 174 |
| Manufactured Apparatus Playgrounds: Steel and Stone | p. 177 |
| The Novelty Era: Dennis the Menace | p. 180 |
| Adventure Playgrounds: Tools, Pets, Junk, Loose Parts, and Gardens | p. 183 |
| The Modern Era: Standardized Playgrounds | p. 190 |
| The Postmodern Era of Play Environments: Back to Nature | p. 193 |
| The Value of Play and the Consequences of Play Deprivation | p. 198 |
| The Rush to Distinction and Mediocrity | p. 199 |
| Developmental and Therapeutic Values of Play | p. 202 |
| Play, Brain, and Play Deprivation | p. 204 |
| Obesity, Illness, and Dying Young | p. 209 |
| The Causes of Play Deprivation: A Perfect Storm | p. 214 |
| Out-of Control Cyber Play | p. 214 |
| The Perpetual Evolution of Safety Standards | p. 220 |
| A Litigious Society | p. 223 |
| Under-parenting and Over-parenting: Baby Boomers to Generation XXL | p. 228 |
| No Child Left Behind: A Flawed Political Mandate | p. 230 |
| Needed: A Twenty-First Century Child-Saving Movement | p. 235 |
| Toward a Contemporary Child-Saving Movement | p. 237 |
| Lessons from the Past | p. 238 |
| The Postmodern Era in Children's Play and Play Environments | p. 240 |
| Building on the Early Child-Saving Movement | p. 240 |
| The Play and Playground Movement | p. 241 |
| The School Gardens Movement | p. 242 |
| Children's Zoo Movement | p. 244 |
| The Nature Study Movement | p. 245 |
| The Organized Camping Movement | p. 245 |
| The Children's Museum Movement | p. 246 |
| Building Ecosystems for Play | p. 248 |
| Child Development Centers and Learning and Development through Play | p. 249 |
| Expanding the Voice of Play and Play Environments | p. 249 |
| Nonprofit Organizations and Coalitions | p. 251 |
| Private Foundations | p. 252 |
| Enter the Government | p. 253 |
| Confronting the Play/Fitness/Health Crisis and Restoring Outdoor Play | p. 256 |
| Convincing Adults that Children Need Play at Home and Recess at School | p. 256 |
| Countering Pills and Disabilities | p. 257 |
| Turning off the Tech Toys | p. 258 |
| Getting Children back to Nature | p. 260 |
| Equity for Children in Poverty | p. 262 |
| From Junk Food to Basic Nutrition | p. 264 |
| Getting Parents Active and Emotional: Countering Fear | p. 266 |
| Remembering Lessons from History | p. 269 |
| References | p. 271 |
| Index | p. 283 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780415806206
ISBN-10: 0415806208
Audience:
Professional
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 320
Published: 1st October 2009
Dimensions (cm): 22.9 x 15.2
x 1.9
Weight (kg): 0.454
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