Volume 15, Number 1

The authors examined technological and traditional infant toys to understand the U.S. toy market facing today’s care givers. They found significant differences in the two types of toys in terms of their developmental targets—with more traditional toys aimed at physical development and more technological toys aimed at cognitive development. Given that the toy market is so vast and that technological toys sometimes come with considerable costs, they argue for the need to understand more precisely how toys are marketed to prevent exploitation based on the pursuit of a so-called “brainy baby.” Key words: educational toys; gender-specific toys; developmental toys; technical toys; traditional toys; toy marketing

The authors investigated the outdoor physical play of Norwegian first graders in after-school programs using a study that viewed play from the children’s perspective. The authors identified three themes of the physically active play they observed—“playing with friends,” “no one decides,” and “I can do it.” Their findings highlight the dynamic importance of such play, especially of child initiation in play and of playing with other children. The physical outdoor play fostered fun and playful interaction, leading both to improved communication and movement capabilities. The authors discuss their findings in relation to Scott Eberle’s theoretical understanding of play, findings that indicate the complex conditions that support and extend children’s play in after-school programs and the need to recognize them. Key words: after school programs; child’s perspective; physically active play; outdoor play

The author explores the relationship of play to choreography. He defines choreography as the rules that guide body movements from their minute physicality to their broad social and cultural contours. He conducts a review of the literature and accentuates five general topics—learning through creativity; choreography as writing and pedagogy; comparisons of dance and choreography to play and sport; children’s play and environments as choreographies; and choreography as critical play interventions in public spaces. He argues that viewing play through a choreographic lens helps us understand how players physically communicate and create meaning through action in various play situations. Key words: choreography and play; participatory sense making

People, the author holds, instinctively believe quitting a game to be a simple choice: you are either playing or you are not. But she finds quitting play more complex. To understand better the whole ecosystem of play, she maps out the reasons Finnish players abandon or reduce their gaming and examines these reasons through the lens of specific demands. Using an online survey and interviews, she reveals that the dedication and effort needed to play—and the expected audience for a game—can drive players away from the games they once so enjoyed. She concludes that using the player service model promoted by Jaako Stenros and Olli Sotamaa in 2009 can identify the actions game designers might take to lessen the effect of these game demands. Key words: analog games; digital games; game demands; quitting game play; player services