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‘Introduction to Play’, written by an array of well-educated authors, is utterly brilliant. It is jam-packed, teaching on all aspects of play, on a broad and deep scale. It speaks of what play is, the importance of play, the many different theorists that pioneered models of play, the positive health and well-being encouraged through play, the role of the adult in play, and much more. It is simply written, giving greater depth of understanding to the reader, with extra summary boxes to clarify what has been read. It also gives specific questions to consider within a Reflection Point section. This book is great if you are an Early Years Educator, a training Early Years practitioner, or even a new mum! It could benefit anyone who works with children, within different capacities. This is a superb resource!

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Shauna Hawker

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I recently read ‘Introduction to Play’ and being a mother of 2 little ones myself and studying Early Years at Uni, I certainly found this read worthwhile. It explores what play is, the importance of play and how it benefits children’s development including positive health and well-being which is something close to my heart. Since I want my own children to benefit fully from play experiences, I liked how it discussed the role of the adult in play, directly speaking to me and the influence I can have.  This book is engaging, interesting, simple to read and understand and I found it enjoyable too; I believe it will be a consistent resource I refer to throughout my children’s early childhood and career when considering the importance of play. I loved learning about the various theorists that pioneered play models, that was interesting and, I really liked the summary and reflection points. An all round great book including the colourful cover that catches my eye, encouraging me to scan through the contents page to find something nice to read again!

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Amy, Early Years Student at UWTSD

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The chapters lend themselves well to the structure of the module and the case studies have been useful to pose reflection and discussion during taught sessions. The chapters are well thought out and support students to understand the links between theory and practice.  The book addresses the role of the adult clearly, encouraging students to put into practice what they have read. I would also recommend this as essential reading for anyone new to teaching in the early years sector. 

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Lauren Whale