Thanks for stopping by. Below are references for my talk Play, Deconstructed: Ode to the Wild Child as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week 2015. I’ve avoided academic journal articles that generally sit behind paywalls and have focused instead on publicly available sources; often, researchers talking about their work in the mainstream press. I hope you find it useful!

What is play?

A (very) brief overview of the major historical schools of thought on the definition of play, plus a synthesis of these theories into the five common points I introduced in my talk. By Dr Peter Gray, professor of psychology at Boston College.

The benefits of unstructured play

Scientists Say Child’s Play Helps Build A Better Brain Jon Hamilton, NPR

Unschooling and the Benefits of Unstructured Time Rebecca McMillan, The Creativity Post

The loss of unstructured play

Can We Play David Elkind, Greater Good