This book re-theorizes the relationship between pedagogy and play. The
authors suggest that pedagogical play is characterized by conceptual
reciprocity (a pedagogical approach for supporting children's academic
learning through joint play) and agentic imagination (a concept that
when present in play, affords the child's motives and imagination a
critical role in learning and development). These new concepts are
brought to life using a cultural-historical approach to the analysis of
play, supported in each chapter by visual narratives used as a research
method for re-theorising play as a pedagogical activity. Whenever a
cultural-historical approach is applied to understanding pedagogical
play, the whole context of the playful event is always included.
Further, the child's cultural environment is taken into account in order
to better understand their play. Children from different countries play
differently for many reasons, which may include their resources, local
cultural beliefs about play and specific pedagogical practices. The
inclusion and acknowledgement of social, cultural and historical
contexts gives credence and value to understanding play from both child
and adult perspectives, which the authors believe is important for the
child's learning and development. As such, the relationships that
children and adults have with human and non-human others, as well as any
connections with artefacts and the material environment, are included in
all considerations of pedagogical play.