In the book the author presents from different perspectives what is
understood by the phenomenon of children's play, why it is important,
and how children's play challenge and stimulate the educator or
caregiver in regard of educational values and practice, with the
conclusion: play has to be taken seriously. A selection of theories is
introduced to provide descriptions and explanations of play, as a background for putting forward
certain requirements for what should be understood by play in early childhood education. Finally,
a discussion of play as an educational remedy is presented, and at the end the important
relations between play, experiences and self-concept development are outlined in relevance to
teachers' professional play competence.
The book is relevant to university academics teaching at bachelor
and master programs of early childhood education; in addition to
parents, teachers and caregivers in relation to children aged 0 to 9
years of age.