...“in play a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself” (L. S. Vygotsky, "Mind and Society" , 1978, p. 102)
In the last 25 years here at the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition, University of California San Diego, we have been researching, designing and implementing educational activities that combine play and learning. Informed by Cultural Historical and Activity Theory (CHAT), we embrace the cultural approach to play and argue for a play-based pedagogy – an approach in which adults actively and jointly participate in play.
Our projects: FIFTH DIMENSION, LA CLASE MÁGICA and PLAYWORLD are grounded in the following shared principles:
1. Play creates a space in which people are at their best: engaged, focused, creative, resourceful, self-expressive, and exuberant.
2. By interacting with other people, and by interacting with material and symbolic tools (stories, rhymes, toys, music, books, movies, computer software), players create knowledge about themselves and the world, and by doing that they also acquire valuable skills.
3. Adults can and should participate in and support children's play by bringing in their knowledge and experience. However,
4. Adults should be respectful of children and truly be their play partners. They should acknowledge children's personal autonomy and their funds of knowledge acquired in peer and/or home culture. Thus,
5. Play should not be didactized and turned into a school like activity.
6. Play cannot be understood from an outsider's perspective using traditional research methods, such as a one-way window observation or interviews.
7. Play should be studied through researchers' direct and active participation and engagement, using a variety of research methods.