Editors’ introduction -- Adults’ Involvement in Social Pretend Play (Isabelle Kalkusch and Sonja Perren) -- One more attempt to match a child's desire for play with their developmental and learning needs (Milda Bredikyte) -- Father-Child and Mother-Child Play in Global South Cultural Communities: Links to Children’s Social and Cognitive Skills (Jaipaul L. Roopnarine and Wusirige) -- Agentic imagination in joint play at a home setting (Liang Li) -- Guided play for second language learning in spatial-material environments in preschools (Asta Cekaite och Maria Simonsson) -- Young and old interacting in intergenerational play spaces (Ann Farrell) -- Nature environment as a catalyst for children’s play and educators' relational practices in a refugee context (Marit Heldal and Trond Løge Hagen) -- Ethical dimensions of teacher-child play interactions in early childhood education (Jeffrey Trawick-Smith and Kwangwon Lee) -- Playful encounters around serious topics (Annukka Pursi, Lasse Lipponen and Saila Poulter) -- Playing-with nature: Educators and children caring for the environment (Gloria Quinones and Niklas A. Chimirri) -- Playworker narratives from out of school services in Australia (Jennifer Cartmel, Angus Gorrie, Kylie Keane and Cate Jorgenson) -- Editors’ conclusions.

Open Access

This is an Open access book.This work addresses the presence and participation of adults in play with children. Rather than discussing this issue on ideological ground, the international contributions build on empirical data and report research conducted in many different contexts and settings around the world. Responding to the many forms it takes, play is defined from different theoretical points of view. Amongst the topics addressed in the chapters are the ethics of participation, play with refugee children, democracy and play, multilingualism in play, development of play and imagination. For knowledge building on children’s lives, childhoods and early childhood education and care, it is important to develop empirically and theoretically what processes come into play when children and adults play together, whether in play initiated and framed by adults or play initiated by children and to which adults try to gain entry. Primarily intended for researchers interested in play and intergenerational communication, the book is also valuable for professionals working with children in different kinds of early childhood settings.

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