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There is a considerable body of research which is indicative, relating children’s play and aspects of their learning and development. This evidence includes work in evolutionary and developmental psychology, anthropology, neuroscience and educational studies. However, while researchers in these fields have hypothesised about how play might enhance child outcomes, much of this evidence merely establishes associations rather than firm, causal relationships. In fact, there is little or no conclusive evidence regarding possible explanatory mechanisms.

With this white paper, we set out to move the study of children’s play and development forward, urging researchers to address the psychological processes involved in playful behaviour and the mechanisms by which they might enhance learning. We propose that this can be best achieved by focusing on the specific psychological characteristics of playful experiences, set out in the related white paper by Zosh et al.(2017) and the specific types of play children engage in.