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Category: Babies & Early Childhood (0-5)

Play at the Extremes: A panel discussion for parents, teachers and carers

9 November 2018

Join the conversation about the changing nature of childhood – are we really heading from ‘free range’ to ‘hot house’? We’ll hear if children are kept too safe, if parents and schools are too risk averse, and whether adventurous and independent play opportunities provide unique developmental, social and emotional benefits. Chaired by Dr Jenny Gibson, […]

PEDAL Seminar: Not Too Early, But Just Right! – Unleashing the Power of Science in Early Childhood

12 July 2018

Professor Daryl Greenfield is a Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Miami. His work is positioned at the interface of research, policy and practice at the international, national and local level. His research examines school readiness with at-risk and dual language learners, with a specific focus on early science education. Science has […]

A Prescription for Play: Why play fosters social and cognitive development

18 May 2018

Join PEDAL for a public lecture by world-renowned psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, evaluating the evidence for the importance of free play and guided play as a catalyst for learning in social and cognitive development. Kathy explored why play, particularly guided play, might offer a successful midway position between the warring factions of playful and didactic approaches […]

PlayFutures webinar with PEDAL: Playing with infants and toddlers

21 March 2018

Listen to Dr Vicky Leong, Dr Ciara Lavery and Dr Melissa Scarpate talk about playing with infants and toddlers in this webinar hosted by PlayFutures.

PEDAL | BBC Breakfast report on playful writing

26 September 2017

Acting Director of PEDAL, Dr David Whitebread, is interviewed in a BBC Breakfast report on playful approaches to learning and ‘playful writing’ in schools. This report was originally recorded in February 2017.

PEDAL Seminar: Play, self-regulation and early childhood – What does research say?

26 September 2017

A rare opportunity to hear from two of the world’s foremost developmental psychologists about how their research has been applied to education and social policy. Of particular interest to academics, teachers, early years practitioners, and third/public sector professionals, Professor Blair and Professor Sylva highlight the effects of early education on development, attainment and fulfilling individual […]

PEDAL Seminar: Pretence and Creativity during Childhood and Beyond

26 September 2017

This joint Psychology & Education and PEDAL seminar by Dr Julie Kirkham examines pretend play and creativity in the context of early and middle childhood. Dr Julie Kirkham is a Senior Psychology Lecturer and Programme Leader for the MSc Family and Child Psychology at the University of Chester. Her research interests include children’s symbolic development […]

Play: A window into children’s social worlds

11 September 2017

This was a keynote lecture from world renowned Professor of Educational Psychology, Professor Anthony Pellegrini  titled Object Use & Play in Childhood: Development and Possible Social Functions. Professor Pellegrini discussed the potential evolutionary significance of play and the challenges and rewards of getting scientists out of the lab and onto the playground! Professor Anthony Pellegrini […]

Shaping Social Play Behaviour in Interactive Playgrounds

11 September 2017

The introduction of sensing technology in traditional play spaces such as playgrounds has given rise to the possibility of analysing children’s behaviour during actual play. Not only can this help to better understand what is going on during games but when combined with feedback and actuation technology, such as projections or robots, it can be […]

Harnessing New Technology to Better Understand the Family Language Environment

11 September 2017

In this PEDAL presentation, Dr Elian Fink talks about the collaborative project Baby Talk, where they used a light-weight wearable pedometer to record infant-caregiver interactions. Play interactions between infant and caregiver have been studied in developmental psychology under many guises, including attachment behaviours, parental sensitivity and scaffolding. Baby Talk aimed to explore the association between […]