Play in preschool : An observational study of children’s play and adult participation in play at two preschools.

The study which has been made is a qualitative observational study where play forms and participation of adults were observed in two preschools. The word play is defined in the study with an “as-if” –nature based on Knutsdotters definition which differs play and activities from each other. The observed play form has been analyzed according to the concept of imitation and imagination play. To get a complete base of the study a few children on some occasions drew what they played or would like to play. Through photographs of these drawings and how the children described and explained what they drew a connection could be made with the children’s play forms. The children take in what adults and other children do and use it in their play forms, which this study clearly shows. Through the social cultural perspective that has been used in this study we can see that learning often occurs through interaction with communication. That children who interact with adults through communication learns how the surrounding world functions, how thinking patterns and actions works. It would appear, however, to be a series of complex problems around the adults’ participation in play. In one of the preschools the adults’ were playing with the children but in the second preschool the adults ‘were too busy with activities so the children would play on their own without adult interruption between them. Through this study it has also been revealed that there are different kinds of distractions that interferes with children’s play and that there generally is a lack of respect for children’s play, an example of this is the continued interference from the preschools staff. Examples of interferences that interrupt children’s play at the preschools are diaper changes, gatherings, lunch, snack breaks and other daily activities and routines