Childhood Development

Embracing complexity: Rethinking the relation between play and learning: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013).

Lillard et al. (2013) concluded that pretend play is not causally related to child outcomes and charged that the field is subject to a play ethos, whereby research is tainted by a bias to find positive effects of play on child development. In this commentary, we embrace their call for a more solidly scientific approach to questions in this important area of study while offering 2 critiques of their analysis.

Read More Embracing complexity: Rethinking the relation between play and learning: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013).
An investigation into the effect of play-based instruction on the development of play skills and oral language.

The current study investigated the influence of a play-based curriculum on the development of pretend play skills and oral language in children attending their first year of formal schooling.

Read More An investigation into the effect of play-based instruction on the development of play skills and oral language.
Prospective associations between toddler televiewing and subsequent lifestyle habits in adolescence

Watching television is a common pastime for very young children. High exposure may negatively influence physical and mental health outcomes. Not much is known about how early exposure relates to lifestyle choices in adolescence.

Read More Prospective associations between toddler televiewing and subsequent lifestyle habits in adolescence
Landscapes for play: Effects of an intervention to promote nature-based risky play in early childhood centres

The outdoor space at childcare centres can be many preschoolers’ primary experience of outdoor play. Trends prioritizing risk reduction have diminished access to nature and risky play. We examined the effects of an intervention to increase opportunities for nature and risky play in the outdoor play environments of two childcare centres using a repeated measures mixed methods design.

Read More Landscapes for play: Effects of an intervention to promote nature-based risky play in early childhood centres
Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children

Children comprise one of the largest consumer groups of technology. Sleep is fundamental to optimal functioning during childhood, including health and behaviour. The purpose of this study was to explore bedtime electronic use and its impact on 3 health consequences—sleep quantity and quality, inattention, and body mass index.

Read More Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children
Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time

Adolescents who spent more time on new media (including social media and electronic devices such as smartphones) were more likely to report mental health issues, and adolescents who spent more time on nonscreen activities (in-person social interaction, sports/exercise, homework, print media, and attending religious services) were less likely.

Read More Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time
Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data

Defining the boundary of children’s ‘neighborhoods’ has important implications for understanding the contextual influences on child health. Additionally, insight into activities that occur outside people’s neighborhoods may indicate exposures that place-based studies cannot detect.

Read More Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data
Lifelong Residential Exposure to Green Space and Attention: A Population-based Prospective Study

Researchers evaluated the association between lifelong residential exposure to green space and attention during preschool and early primary school years.

Read More Lifelong Residential Exposure to Green Space and Attention: A Population-based Prospective Study
Pragmatic evaluation of the Go2Play Active Play intervention on physical activity and fundamental movement skills in children

Active play is a novel approach to addressing low physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children. This study aimed to determine if a new school-based, ‘Go2Play Active Play’ intervention improved school day physical activity and FMS.

Read More Pragmatic evaluation of the Go2Play Active Play intervention on physical activity and fundamental movement skills in children
Global kids study: More trees, less disease

A University of Vermont-led study of 300,000 children in 35 nations says kids whose watersheds have greater tree cover are less likely to experience diarrheal disease, the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five.

Read More Global kids study: More trees, less disease
The role of Outdoor Education in child development in Italian nursery schools

This study aimed to investigate the influence of Outdoor Education (OE) on different areas of development in 1–3-year-old children attending Italian nursery schools.

Read More The role of Outdoor Education in child development in Italian nursery schools
Daily touchscreen use in infants and toddlers is associated with reduced sleep and delayed sleep onset

Traditional screen time (e.g. TV and videogaming) has been linked to sleep problems and poorer developmental outcomes in children. With the advent of portable touchscreen devices, this association may be extending down in age to disrupt the sleep of infants and toddlers, an age when sleep is essential for cognitive development.

Read More Daily touchscreen use in infants and toddlers is associated with reduced sleep and delayed sleep onset

Childhood Development

Embracing complexity: Rethinking the relation between play and learning: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013).

An investigation into the effect of play-based instruction on the development of play skills and oral language.

Prospective associations between toddler televiewing and subsequent lifestyle habits in adolescence

Landscapes for play: Effects of an intervention to promote nature-based risky play in early childhood centres

Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children

Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time

Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data

Lifelong Residential Exposure to Green Space and Attention: A Population-based Prospective Study

Pragmatic evaluation of the Go2Play Active Play intervention on physical activity and fundamental movement skills in children

Global kids study: More trees, less disease

The role of Outdoor Education in child development in Italian nursery schools

Daily touchscreen use in infants and toddlers is associated with reduced sleep and delayed sleep onset

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