Overview

This is the definitive resource for students and early childhood professionals seeking to understand meaningful play experiences for younger children. Covering ages 0-8, this comprehensive guide explores what play in early childhood is, why it matters, and where and how it happens. With fully updated content and new chapters, it provides everything you need for your early childhood degree and your practice, helping you to: Think critically about play and play provision. Understand what good early childhood practice looks like. See how educational theory translates into real-world settings. Explore the issues, debates, and challenges within play and early learning. This second edition includes new chapters on: Exciting contemporary approaches to the pedagogy of play. Observing and assessing play, with an emphasis on inclusive practice. Planning for play, to support effective active learning.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jane Waters-Davies
Publisher:   SAGE Publications Ltd
Imprint:   SAGE Publications Ltd
Edition:   2nd Revised edition
ISBN:  

9781036209643

ISBN 10:   1036209644
Pages:   312
Publication Date:   09 May 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Part I: What Is Play? 1. What is play? - Natalie MacDonald 2. Children’s Right to Play - Jane Waters-Davies 3. Types of Play - Allison Rees-Edwards 4. Play Pioneers and their Legacy - Alison Murphy 5. Contemporary Playful Pedagogies - Lauren Whale and Louise Atkins Part II: Why Is Play Important? 6. Play, Learning, and Development - Natalie Canning and Angela Rekers 7. Play, Early Language and Communication - Amanda Bateman 8. Play, Creativity and Well-Being - Charlotte Greenway and Laura Hutchings 9. Observation and Assessment of Play - Tereza Aidonopoulou-Read 10. Planning for Play - Karen Boardman and Jennie Swift Part III: Where Does Play Happen? 11. Enabling Environments: Indoors and Out - Jennie Clement 12. Outdoor Play - Glenda Tinney 13. Play in the Digital World: Beyond the Binary Logic - Pekka Mertala and Daara Salomaa 14. The Place of Play in the Early Years Curricula of the UK - Carys Jennings 15. The Role of the Adult in Supporting Play - Angela Rekers and Mel McCree 16. Play and Inclusion - Nanna Ryder and Charlotte Greenway 17. Intergenerational Play - Maragret Kernan, Giulia Cortellesi, and Mariana Palazuelos Part IV: International Perspectives 18. Cultural Framing of Expectations for Play - Angela Rekers and Jane Waters-Davies 19. Play in Extremis - Debra Laxton, Linda Cooper, and Sarah Ndlovu 20. Playful Learning around the World - Sarah Chicken and Sarah Whitehouse

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Author Information

Jane Waters-Davies is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Originally a teacher in London, she has worked in higher education in Wales for over 25 years, leading programmes in Early Childhood Studies,  and Initial Teacher Education and Doctorate in Education. Jane is now involved in research, works with postgraduate research students in the field of education, and sits on the Welsh Government advisory panel for early years. Her doctorate explored the affordances for interaction and child agency in the outdoor and indoor spaces of the early years at school. Her research interests lie in young children’s participation, play and learning, outdoor play and early concept development, and the professional education of those working with young children. She is passionate about the importance of early childhood educators understanding the complexities of their professional role, being able to advocate for playful learning on behalf of children, and being respected for the tremendous work they do.

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