“Play in Focus”

Children Researching Their Own Spaces and Places for Play

Abstract

Young children are traditionally misunderstood and overlooked as expert communicants of their own cultures and are generally dismissed as a reliable resource for understanding neighborhood and community issues. This article will describe and discuss an intervention that attempted to position the child as expert and researcher of their own play environments. In this study, 32 primary school children from two schools situated in east Leeds, Yorkshire, England, used disposable cameras over a one week period in the autumn of 2002 to record and later reflect on their preferred spaces and places for play. The process explored means of engaging children as researchers of their own environments offering them the tools of the photo-diary and the technique of photoelicitation in generating data designed to influence policy for planning and change of play strategies at local and national government levels. This article discusses the data generated in terms of what the participative process attempted reveals about the capacities of young children to contribute to the planning and design agenda for supporting children’s play in 21st century childhood in urban environments.