Mother-father-child play: investigations of preschoolers' home play behavior, parental involvement and home environment

Relatively few studies have documented the nature of mother-father-child play interactions at home, especially during the preschool years. Based on the ecological approach regarding the relationship of play behavior as a function of the playing child and the play environment (Darvill, 1982), this study investigated the play of 48 3and 5-year-old boys and girls with their parents in their home. The mother-father-child play was videotaped for 10 minutes and later coded for child's social-cognitive play behaviors and the parental involvement of mother and father. Quality of home environment was measured using the HOME Inventory scale (preschool version). Differences in types of preschoolers' play with their parents at home were found. Three-year-olds were more likely than 5-year-olds to engage in the cognitive play categorized as functional, constructive and dramatic play whereas 5-year-olds were more likely than 3-year-olds to engage in the cognitive play categorized as games with rules. These findings reflect the developmental progression of play during the preschool period. Parental involvement of mothers and fathers shows different likelihood of preschoolers' home play. When mothers and fathers participated as play partners in their preschoolers' play, there was a tendency for more complex