A sociabilidade humana tem merecido atenção especial para o entendimento da filogênese e ontogênese da espécie. Nos humanos, a característica de interagir com o parceiro, envolve uma capacidade peculiar de reconhecer estados mentais e emocionais de si mesmo e do outro, aqui referida como compreensão social. A literatura da área de desenvolvimento infantil indica uma provável relação entre a compreensão social de crianças e as interações que elas estabelecem em contextos lúdicos com seus pares de idade. As pesquisas, no entanto, dificilmente investigam os comportamentos que caracterizam essas interações em situação de brincadeira livre entre crianças pré-escolares. A partir da psicoetologia, a brincadeira entre pares é considerada um espaço ecologicamente relevante para o desenvolvimento da criança e atividade privilegiada para a observação de seu comportamento social. No presente estudo visamos caracterizar o comportamento de crianças pré-escolares em relação à capacidade de compreensão social quando observadas em situação lúdica triádica e avaliadas em testes individuais de teoria da mente e compreensão das emoções. Investigamos uma amostra de 31 crianças (50% meninas). Elas frequentavam o mesmo Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil, que lhes ofertava um atendimento diário, organizando-as em três agrupamentos etários (3, 4 e 5 anos). Os trios observados e videoregistrados em um ambiente lúdico, foram compostos por crianças do mesmo agrupamento, usando-se o critério de parcerias preferenciais ou neutras. Identificamos na situação de observação comportamentos de acesso/recepção (aproximação sem conflito, ação coordenada por cooperação, exibição, aproximação com conflito; intermediação, ação coordenada por imitação, pedido, convite e oferta) usados pelas crianças para se ajustarem aos parceiros de interação. Em decorrência de uma análise fatorial exploratória, esses comportamentos foram nomeados de: interações amistosas, interações agonísticas e propostas. Em seu conjunto, os resultados sugerem que as crianças apresentam, nas interações lúdicas com os seus pares de idade, uma compreensão do outro que as possibilita realizar ações ajustadas ao contexto interacional. As crianças de 5 anos apresentaram mais interações amistosas para acessar a situação já estabelecida ou receber uma nova criança, quando comparadas às de 4 e 3 anos; além disso, elas apresentaram um desempenho melhor no teste de teoria da mente e no teste de compreensão de emoções quando comparadas às mais novas, resultados que sugerem transformações ontogenéticas relevantes nessa idade. As análises realizadas permitem indicar um caminho ontogenético de desdobramentos e ampliação da compreensão social de crianças nas interações estas são tomadas como produto e instrumento da compreensão social o que reflete uma psicologia que evoluiu junto com a complexidade da vida em grupo. Os resultados também contribuem para a discussão sobre em que medida ter e usar a capacidade de compreender o outro são competências relacionadas. Indicamos que os comportamentos categorizados neste estudo ajudam a identificar tendências comportamentais que fazem parte do repertório da criança na interação lúdica com pares e que podem passar despercebidos em testes individuais ou situações experimentais de resolução de problemas. Compreensão social e desenvolvimento social podem constituir uma via de mão dupla com consequências para a exibição de comportamentos ajustados às demandas sociais / Human sociability is merited to highlight special attention to the understanding of phylogenies and ontogenesis, the evolutionary functions of the Homo sapiens species. Social understanding within the human context comprises of the capacity to attribute to mental and emotional states of oneself and to others. The current literature indicates potential links between childrens social understanding and their peer interaction in settings of play. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the behaviors displayed in those interactions during free play among preschool children. From the human ethological approach, playing with peers is an ecologically relevant environment for childrens development; and for the observation of their social behaviors. This present study aims to describe pre-school childrens behaviors in terms of their social understanding abilities when they played freely in triad, and then were assessed individually on tests regarding theory of mind and emotional comprehension. The studys sample was composed of 31 typically developing children (50% girls) from low-income socioeconomic status, equally distributed in three age groups (3, 4 and 5 years old) and attending the same daycare group in Recife, Brazil. From the observation of the free play, we could identified access/receptive behaviors displayed by the children when adjusting their behaviors to those of their peer group (approach without conflict, cooperative coordinated action, exhibition, approach with conflict, intermediation, imitative coordinated action, request, invitation and offer). In result of a factorial exploration analysis, these behaviors were grouped: friendly interaction, agonistic interaction and proposal. We found age-related differences with regard to childrens behaviors while interacting with their peer group in the triadic playful situation, as well as on their performances in the individual tests. 5-year-old children showed more friendly interaction than 3 and 4-year-old children, either when accessing a situation already established by others or when welcoming a new child. The older children also performed better than the younger children on the theory of mind and emotional comprehension tests. There was no relation between the access/receptive behaviors in peer interaction and childrens performances on the individual conceptual tasks. The results suggest that, during ludic interaction with peers, children show an understanding of others, which allows them to adjust their action based on the interactional context. Although, children unfold and improve their understanding while interacting; interactions are both a product of and tool for social understanding; after reflecting on the psychological processes that evolved, according to the complexity of navigating within peer groups. The findings also contribute to the discussion regarding [having and using the ability to understanding others] are related competences. The behaviors categorized in this study aid the identification of childrens repertoire of behavioral patterns in ludic peer interaction, which very often cannot be grasped through individual tests or collaborative problem-solving situations in experimental settings. Social understanding and social development within children might constitute a bi-directional relationship, which brings consequences for the display of behaviors well-adjusted to social demands

Children spend at least seven and a half hours or 46.9% of their waking hours in the school setting, which brings a unique responsibility to schools (Beighle, Erwin, Morgan, & Alderman, 2012). School systems are expected to educate children according to adopted state standards and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. The concept then is to increase knowledge by putting focus on academic achievement as well as promoting good citizenship by developing children’s social, emotional, and physical development, which happens during recess. Yet, recess and free play opportunities are on the decline in school systems across our nation. This reduction or elimination is being attributed to the federal and state accountability measures being instituted on state assessments. The growing trend is for schools to increase the amount of academic time and reduce the amount of time children can experience recess or free play opportunities. Research is being conducted through qualitative methods to assess the purpose and value of recess in the elementary school setting in a rural school district in southern middle Tennessee. Findings from this study will be useful in establishing school and district recess policies and evaluating recess practices within the district.

Children with autism often display deficits in social interaction, communication, and play. Unlike typical peers during free play with a variety of games and toys, they often do not initiate to others or engage in interactive game play for sustained periods of time. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of script-fading procedures in increasing initiations and conversational repertoires for children with autism. However, these procedures were examined in arranged environments using an activity schedule or in structured settings. In addition, the role of the conversation partner has not been studied. The use of activity schedules has also been effective in increasing independence and decreasing adult prompts. In particular, the use of a joint activity schedule increased independent game play between preschoolers with autism. Therefore, the current study investigated (a) the use of script-fading procedures and the use of manual guidance to teach four preschool children to initiate game play during free play without the aide of an activity schedule. Second, the study examined the effects of scripts and script-fading procedures on (b) the frequency of interactions, (c) the conversation partner's interactions on participants' interactions, (d) generalization across stimuli and people, (e) maintenance, and (f) independent free play. Results demonstrated participants' play initiations, engagement, number of games played, and frequency of interactions increased, skills generalized across games and peers, and maintained. Furthermore, the number of prompts decreased, indicating script- fading procedures with manual guidance alone may be effective in increasing independent free play and initiations.

Through interviews with children of ages 4-5 years old and by observing children children at play at three preschools with different types of outdoor surroundings, I have investigated if the preschools outdoor surroundings have any influences on the children´ choice of play. The hypothesis was that natural surroundings can entice children´s interest in nature being in it and play. I have also investigated if the children know why it is important to be outdoors and if they know it has a positive influence on their health. The result of my investigation is that the children play about the same games at the three different preschool gardens, but at the preschool with more natural surroundings, the children have more contact with plants and animals, and could learn of the different phenomena of nature by the preschool teacher answering their questions. Most of the children in the interviews know it´s useful to be outdoors and be on the move and get fresh air, but many of them thought it was most important to play. By being outdoors the children get exercise, fresh air, play and at the same time they establish an understanding of the nature and a healthier life. / Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med barn i åldern 4-5 år och observationer av barnens lek på tre förskolor med olika utformade utemiljöer har jag undersökt om förskolans utemiljö har någon inverkan på barnens val av lekar. Syftet var att undersöka om förskolans utemiljö påverkar barnens lek och om en mer naturlik utemiljö kan locka fram barnens naturintresse genom att de får vistas i den och ha fri lek där. Jag har även undersökt om barnen vet varför det är viktigt att vara ute och om de vet att det har positiv inverkan på deras hälsa. Det visade sig att barnen leker ungefär samma lekar på de tre olika förskolegårdarna oavsett vilken utformning utemiljön har. Men vid den förskola som hade mer naturlig miljö, så kom barnen mer spontant i kontakt med djur och växter, och på så vis kunde de lära sig om naturens olika fenomen genom att en medforskande pedagog besvarade deras frågor och funderingar. De flesta av de intervjuade barnen visste att det var nyttigt att vara ute och röra på sig och få frisk luft, men många av dem tyckte det var viktigast att få leka. genom barnens utevistelse får de faktiskt alla dess tre faktorer, plus att de samtidigt får grunden till naturförståelse genom att de får leka fritt i naturen och att de håller sig friskare.

Det här examensarbetets syfte var att fördjupa förståelsen kring åtta förskollärares synsätt om flickors och pojkars fria lek ur ett genusperspektiv. Därutöver är avsikten att bidra till ökad insikt om förskollärares arbete för att främja jämställdhet mellan flickor och pojkar. Teoriavsnittet behandlar fri lek i den vardagliga verksamheten i förskolan. Därefter fördjupas barnens villkor i den fria leken.   Intervjuer där åtta utbildade förskollärare i två olika verksamheter deltog, användes som metod. Båda verksamheterna är kommunalt drivna utan specifika inriktningar.     I studiens resultat framgår olika faktorer som visar att de åtta intervjuade förskollärarna ibland var av olika uppfattningar och åsikter även då de arbetar på samma förskola eller förskoleklass. Det kunde likväl vara två förskollärare på de två olika verksamheterna som hade samma synsätt. Endast hälften av förskollärarna framhåller vikten av att den fria leken bidrar till utveckling och lärande. Det förefaller också finnas en omedvetenhet kring skillnader i hur flickor och pojkar leker då endast en av förskollärarna påtalar detta. Den dominerande tendensen visar på att förskollärarna är samstämmiga kring sitt synsätt om att alla barn ska ha samma möjligheter och villkor i den fria leken.

The research in this thesis attempts to understand what happens when children (3-6 years of age) interact with each other in the context of free play in two pre-school settings when adults are not involved. The aim of the study was to get a closer look at how children create relationships and how they protect and defend their interactional spaces. Data was gathered through ethnographically inspired methodology, using video observation to capture the everyday interactions of the children. Results were analyzed using a phenomenological approach to peer cultures. Previous research suggests that it is very important for children to maintain their interactions with peers and gaining access to play. We have studied how children shape and interrupt relationships, and what strategies they mainly use to exclude undesired participants from play activities. Our results indicate that it was a hard task for the children to gain access to playgroups in these two pre-school settings, and that the children often jointly constructed a number of strategies for excluding other children from their play. The results also showed a considerable difference between the pre-school settings, both regarding the conception of status, themes of play and the way the children chose to protect their interactional space. Our study has shown legible examples of how peer cultures are under influence of local circumstances at these two specific settings.

The aim of the study was to investigate peer interaction among toddlers 12 to 30 months of age and the teachers’ ways to direct the children’s play in outdoor free play situations in a Swedish preschool. Data was gathered through direct observation, and the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty in combination with the assumption of children as social actors built the theoretical framework of the study. The results showed that the toddlers used different strategies to invite peers to interaction and made use of strategies in entering ongoing play that previously have been observed among older preschoolers. These strategies, bodily and therefore in accordance with the phenomenological approach, support the assumption of toddlers as social actors that actively engage in and make sense of their life worlds in the preschool. The teachers showed less interference in the children’s play compared with earlier studies. The results of the study stress the significance of free play as an arena for learning of different social skills and importance of the preschool teachers being conscious of these young children’s life worlds.

Syftet med studien var att genom intervjuer och observationer undersöka pedagogers delaktighet i den fria leken i förskola och förskoleklass. De frågeställningar som låg till grund var, Vad innebär vuxnas delaktighet i barnens fria lek? På vilket sätt kommer den vuxnes delaktighet till uttryck i den fria leken? Detta för att vi ville veta om vuxna deltar och på vilket sätt de deltar i barnens lek. Vår studie är kvalitativ och i metoden är vi inspirerade av fenomenografi och sociokulturellt perspektiv. Studien grundar sig på sju intervjuer med pedagoger i förskola och förskoleklass och på observationer, en i förskola och en i förskoleklass. I resultatet kom vi fram till att vuxnas uttryck av delaktighet har visat sig på flera olika sätt. De vanligaste uttrycken är handledare och förespråkare för verkligheten, däremot kunde vi se att deltagande som lekkamrat inte förekom så ofta även om respondenterna uttrycker att de gärna vill. / The purpose of this study was that through interviews and observations to examine pedagogues participation in the free play in preschool and preschool classes. The issues which formed the basis was, What does adult involvement in children's free play mean? How will the adult's participation be reflected in the free game? This is because we wanted to know about the adults involved and how they participate in children's play. Our study is qualitative and the method we are inspired by is phenomenography and socio-cultural perspective. The study is based on seven interviews with teachers in preschool and preschool classes and observations, one in preschool and one in the preschool class. In the result, we concluded that the adult expression of participation has proved in several different ways. The most common expressions are play tutor and spokesman for reality, however, we found that participation playmate was not so often, even if respondents say that they want to.

The purpose of this thesis is to study five pedagogue’s view of the free play and their view of the importance of the free play for children´s learning and development.  I have chosen to use a qualitative research method in the form of interviews with five pedagogue´s from a preschool. The main research questions asked were: What have the pedagogues of view on the free play?  How important believe the pedagogue that the free play is for children’s learning and development?  What has emerged in the study is that educators have a positive view of the free play. They believed that the free play is important for children´s skills. This is also shown in the literature as presented in the research survey. The result of the importance of play for children´s learning and development according to educators is that children learn to use imagination, social interaction with one another and show empathy and sympathy. The results also showed that the free play may have barriers that lead to conflicts among the children. Most educators felt that their presence is important to support and develop the play.

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