ABSTRACT
Social events in the play space can be wonderful experiences. But they do highlight the problems caused by different developmental priorities. Driven by their emotions and desperate to conform to their peers’ social and cultural norms, older children can get caught up in a spiral of alcohol and excess, which the playworker, whilst not condoning it, may need to supervise in some way – if only to ensure that young people get home safely. Younger children – who, for some, the event may be the first ever – show different priorities for security and neophilic stimulus.
