Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7272971 | Infant Behavior and Development | 2018 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that an environment with fewer toys will lead to higher quality of play for toddlers. Each participant (n = 36) engaged in supervised, individual free play sessions under two conditions: Four Toy and Sixteen Toy. With fewer toys, participants had fewer incidences of toy play, longer durations of toy play, and played with toys in a greater variety of ways (Z = â4.448, p < 0.001, r = â0.524; Z = 2.828, p = 0.005, r = 0.333; and Z = 4.676, p < 0.001, r = 0.55, respectively). This suggests that when provided with fewer toys in the environment, toddlers engage in longer periods of play with a single toy, allowing better focus to explore and play more creatively. This can be offered as a recommendation in many natural environments to support children's development and promote healthy play.
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Authors
Carly Dauch, Michelle Imwalle, Brooke Ocasio, Alexia E. Metz,