Playwork: A Profession Challenging Societal Factors Devaluing Children’s Play

Abstract

Over the duration of my teaching career I have witnessed the intensification of attitudes devaluing play, and now in my role as a university professor I have visited many school sites that offer little time for child-initiated play. These personal experiences painted a bleak picture for the inclusion of play in the daily lives of children. So while attending The Association for the Study of Play’s conference in 2006, I sought out sessions that focused on issues of play advocacy. As it turned out, a session offered by Fraser Brown titled Children Without Play was just what the doctor ordered. At that presentation I was introduced to the field of Playwork and became intrigued by a profession whose underlying principles were well suited to address the societal factors devaluing children’s play in America.