New report: Play in the face of adversity
Today, we published a new report on the importance of play for children in the asylum-seeking system, particularly those living in hotel-type accommodation. The report was commissioned by the office of the Scottish Children and Young People’s Commissioner to inform their new Human Rights Analysis Report on Placing Children in Hotel-Type Accommodation. The Children’s Commissioner’s report describes […]
Play in Hospital Week 2023
During my years working as a paediatrician, I was always curious about how children experienced their illnesses and the hospital environment. I immersed myself in the field of medical anthropology, learning about cultural and social factors that shape those healthcare experiences, and I became very interested in chronically ill children. Eventually, without a clear plan, […]
Call for local partners to develop the Playtime with Books programme
Book sharing is a way for children and adults to playfully explore picture books together as the basis for conversation and connection. Book sharing supports the important interactions between babies, young children, and their parents, which are vital for early development. Research has shown that book sharing has lots of benefits for children’s language development, […]
New article on diversity in autistic play
A new study published this month, by PEDAL researchers Emma Pritchard-Rowe and Professor Jenny Gibson, and colleagues Carmen de Lemos and Katie Howard, highlights the importance of centering autistic people’s perspectives when it comes to understanding how autistic people play. Existing research on autistic play has typically focused on ‘deficits’ in autistic people’s play, […]
‘Play to Heal’: A Visiting Student Researcher Perspective on Play and Health
In this article, visiting student Cate Schultz from the Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reflects on her internship in PEDAL. The UN declared in 1989 children’s right to play “a fundamental human right for all children” (UN, 1989). For children, “play is not a luxury, play is a necessity” (Dianne). Despite rising […]
Infant Mental Health Awareness Week: How can we help little minds thrive?
It’s Infant Mental Health Awareness Week. At PEDAL, we are committed to conducting research that makes a difference to the lives of children and families right from the start. Our Helping Little Minds Thrive project is focused on the wellbeing of babies, young children, and their caregivers. Helping Little Minds Thrive aims to provide the […]
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week: But what do we mean by mental health?
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and a range of events and activities are taking place to increase understanding of mental health, address stigma and campaign for change. Many people will use the term mental health without pausing to consider what they really mean by it. The same words can often mean different things […]
Understanding mental health in infancy and early childhood
There is widespread concern about babies’, children’s and young people’s mental health in the UK, particularly after the pandemic. Surveys of children, young people, parents, grandparents and teachers all reveal worries about mental health. Significant evidence shows us that the foundations for lifelong mental health are laid during pregnancy and the earliest years of life. […]
Keeping children at the centre of childcare policy: A response to Budget 2023
In today’s Budget the UK Government announced an expansion of the offer of 30 hours of free early childhood education and care (ECEC) to working parents with children aged nine months to three years old. This was accompanied by other measures intended to increase the availability and affordability of ECEC. The Budget was focused on […]
