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Category: Babies & Early Childhood (0-5)
Staying self-regulated in the classroom: The role of children’s executive functions and situational factors
24 July 2024
We wanted to explore how an individual child's self-regulation might vary between different activities.
Centring children’s lived experiences in understanding the importance of play in hospitals
8 July 2024
We wanted to understand what playing in hospital is like from the perspectives and experiences of young children themselves.
A playful, evidence-informed approach to maths education
30 May 2024
How PEDAL research can help a government committed to improving maths outcomes to think more creatively about how to achieve this goal.
Listening to children with empathy – the ethical case
30 May 2024
In this piece, Soizic le Courtois argues that advice given to parents should draw on scientific evidence about children's subjective wellbeing, children's perspectives and the contribution of any practice to children's development and outcomes. We should also be attuned to our empathetic responses to children, which can give us clues about the "right" thing to do.
Why and how do healthcare professionals use play in clinical practice?
1 March 2024
We explored what healthcare professionals in different roles and different countries understood to be important and useful about the role of play in paediatric practice. According to healthcare professionals, play in clinical practice can be used to communicate and build relationships with paediatric patients and thus potentially help provide patient-centred care.
Do educational programmes for healthcare professionals focus on play?
1 March 2024
This literature review looked at the evidence to understand how educational programmes for healthcare professionals include the use of play. It found that play is not consistently or systematically integrated into medical education.
Supporting play for neurodivergent children
5 December 2023
In this session you hear from Kerry Murphy (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Dr Gina Gomez de la Cuesta and Abi Dodson (Play Included) share their expertise on play and its significance in diverse child development. This presentation was recorded on 7th September 2023 as part of the PEDAL Play Conference, an event which brought […]
The therapeutic powers of play: play therapy as a mental health treatment
5 December 2023
In this lecture Siobhán Prendiville (Children’s Therapy Centre in Ireland) talks about the therapeutic powers of play and highlights how well Play Therapy sits within a neurosequential approach to psychotherapy. This presentation was recorded on 7th September 2023 as part of the PEDAL Play Conference, an event which brought together play researchers, policymakers, and practitioners […]
Prisons, hospitals and schools: challenges and opportunities introducing play in different settings
5 December 2023
In this lecture Dr Paulina Pérez-Duarte (PEDAL), Dina Fajardo (PEDAL) & Mercedes Castañeda (Reinserta) explore and advocate for the use of play in challenging settings, as well as those opportunities where play can enable a powerful change in children’s mental health. This presentation was recorded on 7th September 2023 as part of the PEDAL Play […]
Public health campaigns: supporting infant mental health through encouraging playful interactions
5 December 2023
In this lecture Margaret Gallagher (NSPCC) and Alex Spragg (Better Start Bradford) talk about how two public health campaigns supported infant mental health through encouraging playful interactions. This presentation was recorded on 7th September 2023 as part of the PEDAL Play Conference, an event which brought together play researchers, policymakers, and practitioners spotlighting the benefits […]