Games children and parents play together
The following three tables illustrate, with reference to the play classification, the games children and adults play together.
Table 6.3.1. lists the games of children aged 4-10 years and their parents. No distinction is made between girls’ and boys’ play or between play with Dad and/or Mum. The play overview is general.
The dominant form of play is play and use of implements and interaction between parents and children. The weight of emphasis is on entertaining, subtle and private situations occurring between children and their parents, along with guessing games, teasers and “hide-and-seek”-type games. Intimate forms of play, most often “curling up in bed together” in the form of “kiss and cuddle” play and “chatting together”, are included here.
Play in the form of work situations where tools are employed and which resemble play are also registered as this kind of activity consists of processes which have something to do either with household chores or with play/learn situations. Shared sports activities, including parental presence as spectators at children’s training sessions or sports matches are registered too.
Furthermore, we note that it is the quieter activities which most often occur between children and parents: games, LEGO/DUPLO, reading a story, drawing/cutting out/sticking/colouring, etc.
Table 6.3.2. shows the activities small children engage in with their parents, split into boys’ and girls’ activities.
Interactive play forms are the dominant forms here too but this applies to a greater extent to girls than boys. The significant difference between boys’ and girls’ play is that girls play dolls and care/nursing/childminding play with their parents, activities which boys only very seldom play with their parents.
Another very significant difference is the construction/support play which, even at this early stage, demonstrates the contrast between boys and girls.
Looking at individual play forms, the quiet forms of creative play are particularly dominant among girls, For boys, the most popular activities are hiding games, football and play with LEGO bricks.
Table 6.3.3. illustrates older children’s activities.
Where girls are concerned, the interactive forms of play continue to dominate. As for the boys, activities within general and structured systems, athletics/sport, games and construction functions now dominate.
The use of implements in connection with household chores, most often with their parents, is maintained at the same level for boys and girls. However, a clear differentiation in the choice of individual activities is also apparent.
Table 6.3.1. 4-10 year old children’s play with their parents
Play forms are split into main groups and subgroups.
No. of children 399. The children and parents could mention up to 5 play forms they played at the time of the survey. 859 play forms were registered.
Percentage figures are calculated relative to the total.
|
MAIN/SUBGROUPS |
No. |
Percent |
||
|
Interactive forms guessing games/teasers/hide-and-seek private/intimate play acting/performing/presenting tag/hunting/war dolls/support play care/nursing/childminding playmates/friends/party games
Implements tools/collecting/sewing look/listen/learn work/job toys/toy tools
Systems athletics/sport games construction/support props art/cultural play
Nature trips/excursions nature activities
Animals toy animals live animals/play
|
315
247
242
46
9
|
110 69 60 42 21 8 5
119 57 39 32
89 65 57 26 5
33 13
8 1 |
36.7
28.8
28.2
5.4
1.0
|
12.8 8.0 7.0 4.9 2.4 0.9 0.6
13.9 6.6 4.5 3.7
10.4 7.6 6.6 3.0 0.6
3.8 1.5
0.9 0.1
|
|
The 15 most common individual forms of play:
games (unspecified) LEGO/DUPLO read a story drawing/cutting out singing/singing games hide-and-seek playing ball mummies/daddies/babies shopping playing tag (outdoors) tag, catch-me-if-you-can, etc. dolls/teddy bears pottering in the kitchen workshop fighting for fun |
65 50 46 44 39 38 33 24 23 22 21 20 20 19 14 |
7.5 5.8 5.3 5.1 4.5 4.4 3.8 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 1.6 |
||
Steenhold (1993,d)
Table 6.3.2. 4-5 year old children’s play with their parents
Main and subgroups expressed as percentage figures.
No. of children: 158. The children and parents were asked to name up to 5 play forms which they played at the time of the survey. Percentages are calculated relative to the total.
86 boys - 242 play forms 72 girls - 192 play forms
|
|
Percent |
|
Percent |
|
Interactive forms guessing games/teasers/hide-and-seek private/intimate play acting/performing/presenting tag/hunting/war dolls/support play
Implements tools/collecting/sewing toys/toy tools look/listen/learn work/job
Systems construction/support athletics/sport games props Art/cultural play
Animals toy animals
Nature trips/excursions nature activities
Choice of individual play forms Boys: 244 play forms
hide-and-seek LEGO/DUPLO football reading a story singing/singing games drawing/cutting out/sticking games (unspecified) shopping train/train set pottering in the kitchen workshop tag, catch-me-if-you-can, etc. cars/tractors mummies/daddies/babies fighting for fun |
38 14.5
8.3 7.4 6.6 0.8
31 13.6 7.9 5.8 4.1
26 8.3 8.3 4.5 3.7 1.2
3 2.5
3 2.1 0.4
No.
18 18 13 12 12 12 11 9 9 8 8 7 6 6 6 |
Interactive forms guessing games/teasers/hide-and-seek private/intimate play acting/performing/presenting dolls/support play tag/hunting/war care/nursing/childminding playmates/friends/party games
Implements tools/collecting/sewing look/listen/learn work/job toys/toy tools
Systems games athletics/sport construction/support props
Nature trips/excursions nature activities
Animals toy animals
Girls: 192 play forms
drawing/cutting out/sticking singing/singing games mummies/daddies/babies reading a story dolls/teddy bears games (unspecified) hide-and-seek shopping playing ball pottering in the kitchen LEGO/DUPLO dancing ladies’ hairdresser doctors tag, catch-me-if-you-can, etc. |
47 14.1
10.9 9.9 5.7 3.6 2.6 0.5
31 14.6 7.8 7.8 1.0
17 5.7 4.7 4.2 2.6
4 2.1 1.6
1 0.5
No.
16 14 12 12 11 11 9 7 6 6 6 5 4 4 4
|
Steenhold (1993,d)
Table 6.3.3. 6-10 year old children’s play
Main and subgroups expressed as percentage figures.
No. of children: 241 - Children and their parents were asked to name up to 5 play forms they played at the time of the survey. Percentages are calculated on the total number of play forms.
119 boys - 191 play forms 122 girls - 234 play forms
|
|
Percent |
|
Percent |
|
Systems athletics/sports games (unspecified) construction/support props Art/cultural play
Implements tools/collecting/sewing look/listen/learn toys/toy tools work/job
Interactive forms guessing games/teasers/word games private/intimate play acting/performing/presenting tag/hunting/war playmates/friends/party games care/nursing/baby sitting
Nature trips/excursions natural activities
Animals toy animals
Choice of individual play forms Boys: 191 play forms
games (unspecified) LEGO/DUPLO football reading a story playing ball helping out fighting for fun workshop car/tractor computer games drawing/cutting out/sticking going fishing Nature play singing/singing games badminton |
41 13.6 12.6 11.0 1.6 0.5
27 13.6 7.3 4.7 1.0
24 7.3
6.3 5.2 3.1 1.0 0.5
8 6.3 2.1
1 0.5
No.
24 19 15 13 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 |
Interactive forms guessing games/teasers/hide-and-seek private/intimate play acting/performing/presenting tag/hunting/war dolls/support play playmates/friends/party games care/nursing
Systems athletics/sport games props construction/support art/culture
Implements tools/collecting/sewing look/listen/learn work/job toys/toy tools
Nature trips/excursions natural activities
Animals live animals
Girls: 192 play forms
games (unspecified) playing ball drawing/cutting out/sticking hide-and-seek reading a story singing/singing games tag/catch-me-if-you-can, etc. dolls/teddy bears helping out LEGO/DUPLO cycling trips mummies/daddies/babies shopping badminton handicrafts |
38 14.5
6.8 6.4 4.7 3.4 0.9 0.9
29 13.2 8.1 3.8 3.4 0.4
26 13.7 6.0 5.1 0.9
7 5.1 2.1
1 0.4
No.
119 17 11 10 9 9 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 |
(Steenhold (1993,d))