Children’s Play: A Parental Interview based Exploration

Abstract

As far as children are concerned, play is a serious business. It makes significant contribution to child development. However, today children’s play is in a state of significant flux. Given that parents are the primary observers of children’s daily lives, their narratives provide reliable data on children’s play behavior. In this study, 13 mothers (of seven boys and six girls aged between 4 and 12 years) were interviewed. Six of the mothers were from urban areas and seven from rural areas in Kerala, India. 12 grandmothers were also interviewed to get a generational perspective on play. The data obtained was subjected to qualitative content analysis to identify 1) the nature of play behavior of children, with a focus on gender differences and urban-rural disparities, 2) factors influencing the play behavior of children, and 3) how children's play has changed compared to their parents' generation. Three themes emanated: the range of play, toys, and social and environmental influences on the play. The study showed that gender differences in play behavior had been reported to persist in both generations. Gender norms, commercial market forces and the constraints of urbanized environment had a significant role in shaping children's play environment. No evident difference was noted in the overall play behavior of children in urban and rural areas. The study implies that there is a need to promote more inclusive play and ensure access to safe play spaces for children.