The importance of play and peer relationships at the transition to Reception

Presented at the PEDAL Conference on 11 June 2026

Presented by Dr Elian Fink at the PEDAL Conference 2026 workshop session titled: ‘A Playful Start to School’. That session explored how children’s play and friendships evolve as they move through the different stages of early years provision into more formal schooling.

Elian Fink is Associate Professor at the School of Psychology, University of Sussex.

The importance of play and peer relationships at the transition to Reception

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