ABSTRACT
Play versus work for children is still a widely debated topic. This chapter focuses on the development of secure attachments and schema-based play through the Parents as Play Partners project conducted with a range of families in the United Arab Emirates. The research was conducted with families in their homes. The children in the sample were aged two to three years. Initial pre-questionnaires were given to families to obtain general information about the family unit and to determine the interpretation of play by the parents. Families were filmed playing as they would normally do at home and then after we had gone through the Parents as Play Partners booklet with them detailing the importance of play and the play partners method – using everyday activities and natural materials to play with the child allowing the child to lead the play. The change in the quality of engagement and the relationship between parents and children was striking after the intervention. The findings from this study and wider implementation of the project strongly indicate that ‘play’ has become distorted amongst a plethora of plastic and technological devices. Through using the play partners method, parents and children were able to engage for sustained periods of time in a relaxed and meaningful way enabling the enrichment of attachment, language and thought. The project has been extended across a wider audience through workshops organised by schools within the UAE. It is now available at no charge to schools and settings via www.playpartnersproject.com and as part of A Winning Attitude course described in Chapter 5 of this book.
