‘Understand More What We Do’: Investigating Children’s Perspectives of Play through a Co-Constructed Review of the Literature

Play is an essential part of children’s lives and fundamental in supporting children’s quality of life and wellbeing yet it is typically defined from adults’ perspectives. The main aims of this study were to (1) comprehensively map studies that have examined children’s conceptualisations of play, (2) identify methods used to elicit children’s perspectives on play, (3) summarise research findings on children’s perspectives of play, and (4) identify gaps within existing literature. A scoping review methodology was used which included a consultation with children about findings from the research literature. Data from 43 papers were extracted and thematically synthesised. Forty-nine children aged 5 to 11 years were interviewed in Ireland to further explore themes in the literature. Play was conceptualised as fun, autonomous and social and as incorporating creativity, the outdoors, toys, and adults as co-players. Children with additional needs were under-represented. Our findings highlight that play is deeply valued by children with important implications for educational and care practices, in particular with regards to adult involvement in play.