Parental perception of children's play: A phenomenological research

Parents, as one of the basic components of early childhood education, perceive children's play in different ways than educators. Understanding and identifying parents' perspectives provides the foundation for a deeper understanding of play and, consequently, its more effective implementation in the preschool curriculum. The aim of this study was to investigate parents' views on children's play. The method of the present study was qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The study population was mothers of children in preschool centers in Tehran. Data were collected through purposive sampling of 15 mothers through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by Colaizzi(1987) seven-step method. The findings led to the identification of three main parental views on play: play as a tool for learning, play as a fun activity, and play as energy draining activity. The findings also showed that most parents had a results-oriented view of play. They valued play mostly for its developmental and academic learning achievements