Developing play experiments to explore play participation and ‘trivsel’ in ECEC

Motivation and conference themes
ECEC, including collaboration with parents, are important arenas for children’s trivsel (wellbeing/thriving/flourishing). Both children and pedagogues emphasise play and friendship as pivot for trivsel. Nordic research point to similar connections. However, there is an increased concern for children’s trivsel as well as for children’s play possibilities. The concerns are entangled in discourses and politics emphasising children’s learning and security. Other studies show: Still more children find it difficult to participate in play; diversity in play materials can promote different forms of participation; the play skills of Nordic pedagogues seem to deteriorate and attention to play participation as pivot for trivsel is seldomly included in the collaboration between pedagogues and parents.

In four work packages, we explore how pedagogues, children, parents and researchers can qualify the pedagogical work on trivsel in ECEC based on children’s participation in play and peer communities.
Starting from a design-based-research approach we explore and use 6 play experiments as a research method. The four work packages explore:
• Children and pedagogues’ perspectives on play participation and trivsel
• Pedagogical collaboration with parents on play and trivsel
• Intergenerational possibilities in 6 material different play experiments
• Impact of play experiments on peer communities in ECEC

Pivotal in our presentation is the development of play experiment as a child-sensitive research approach. Play experiments include cocreation and coreflections with pedagogues, exploring different materials, field studies among families of participating children as well as dynamics in the peer communities.