Setting the Stage for Play: Exploring the Relationship Between Play Type and Positive Caregiving Strategies During Therapeutic Playgroup

Abstract

Abstract Importance: Although play and positive caregiving strategies have been associated with child well-being, little is known about the relationship between play type and strategies used by caregivers in early childhood. Objective: To investigate whether a relationship exists between play type and positive caregiving strategies. Design: Exploratory correlational nonexperimental design. Setting: Early childhood center. Participants: A convenience sample that included 60 observations of 14 caregivers during a therapeutic playgroup with 14 children with and without disabilities ages 15 mo to 3 yr (4 fathers, 3 mothers, 1 nanny, and 6 female early childhood teachers; age range = 30–39 yr). The caregivers were Black (n = 1; 7.1%), Hispanic (n = 5; 35.7%), and White (n = 8; 57.1%). Outcomes and Measures: Positive caregiving strategies were scored using the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes. Results: Results revealed no significant correlations between play type and positive caregiving strategy. There was a positive, significant correlation between caregiving strategies (affection, responsiveness, encouragement, teaching, and total; rpbs = .767–.970, n = 58, p = .001). The play type and caregiver type variables did not predict total positive caregiving strategies, F(2, 57) = 2.147, p = .126. One variable, caregiver type, added statistical significance to the prediction (p = .045). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings show no relationship between play type and positive caregiving strategy. Consideration of the types of caregivers participating in a therapeutic playgroup and their roles and use of positive strategies during play is worthy of further investigation. Plain-Language Summary: This study explored how parent and teacher caregivers supported children (both with and without disabilities) during a therapeutic playgroup at an early childhood center. Therapeutic playgroups are a special type of group play in which a trained professional helps guide play activities to support participation. The researchers wanted to see whether there was a connection between the type of play the children engaged in and how the adult caregivers interacted with them. The surprising finding was that there was no link between play type and how caregivers interacted. However, the caregivers often used positive strategies with the children, regardless of the play activity. Interestingly, type of caregiver (parent, teacher) seemed to make a slight difference in how they interacted with the children during playtime. Overall, this study suggests that more research is needed to understand how the types of play activities and objects might influence caregiver interactions during group play.