Age-related change in play: insights from a survey of Hudson Valley adults

Abstract

This paper summarizes the findings of a local, unfunded study that analyzed changes in play across generations in the Hudson Valley. Adult participants were surveyed about their childhood play experiences to identify changes, or signs of decline of free play. The decline of free play in the United States has been studied by other professionals to hypothesize its future impact on children. Such research has brought about questions in regards to childhood development and academic success with future generations. Through a short survey, the experimenter examined changes in free play from 1924 to 2001. Changes include the setting of free play, the amount of time allotted for free play, the amount of supervision in play, and the use of electronics in play. The results of this study displays qualitative and quantitative evidence of changes in free play in the Hudson Valley.