Rough and Tumble Play: An Investigation of the Perceptions of Educators and Young Children

Abstract

This research investigated rough and tumble (R&T) play in two early childhood settings. Participants included 11 educators and 17 children (5 years old). The study focused on gaining an understanding of how early childhood educators and young children interpret R&T play. The results indicate that while there is perceived value in R&T related to the development of young children, educators are uncertain of how to manage the play. The results of this study demonstrate the need for early childhood programs to develop policies to guide how R&T is managed.

Rough and Tumble Play and gender in kindergarten: Perceptions of kindergarten teachers

“…These forbidden RTP forms are fighting/wrestling, punching and hitting, open hand slapping, pile on, poke and grappling. This outcome is in accordance with other research corresponding outcomes (Coplan et al, 2015;DiCarlo et al, 2015;Tannock, 2008), in which it is shown that teachers find it difficult either to handle RTP, or to recognize the students' benefit when they practise RTP; and this happens because they support that RTP encourages violence.…”

“…On the contrary, RTP seems to be a male action area. This seems to be true as research outcomes show that most of the children joining RTP are boys (Jarvis, 2004;Pellegrini & Smith, 1998;Tannock, 2005Tannock, , 2008. However, female kindergarten teachers, influenced by their own gender habitus, define the forms and the type of the games that their students are allowed to play.…”

“…RTP is defined as a vivid and action physical play that can include verbal teasing, physical contact with light strikes, punching and hitting with or without physical contact that they do not aim at causing pain to the partner, open-hand slapping (as slapping the air with open hands or by slightly touching the other child's face), poke and grappling between children not using much force and laughing at the same time, play fighting-wrestling until the partner falls on the ground, chasing, rolling around, spinning -either around themselves or around an object, tickling, pile on that children lying one upon the other forming a pile, and protect -rescue games (Brett, Valle-Riestra, Fischer, Rothlein, & Hughes, 2002;Jarvis, 2006;Logue & Harvey, 2010;Pelligrini, 1989;Smith, 1997;Tannock, 2008). Consequently, RTP is a physical play that includes action and strength expressions.…”

“…Approaching cases that refer to RTP is an issue, to some extent, in the international scientific literature (Pellegrini & Smith, 1998;Smith & Pellegrini, 2013;Tannock, 2008). Research on RTP mainly focuses on early childhood and early school age and, mostly, approaches the countries of USA and Canada.…”

“…Research on RTP mainly focuses on early childhood and early school age and, mostly, approaches the countries of USA and Canada. In these studies, the participation of gender in RTP is examined (see : Boulton, 1996;Jarvis, 2004;Storli, 2013), or there is an approach concerning the teachers' or parents' perceptions on RTP (see : Coplan, Bullock, Archbell, & Bosacki, 2015;Di Carlo, Baumgartner, Ota, & Jenkins, 2015;Fletcher, May, St George, Morgan, & Lubans, 2011;Tannock, 2008). There is also observation research on RTP developing among father and son and, consequently, apprehension of the impact on the boys' behavior forming and plays at school (see : Flanders, Leo, Paquette, Pihl, & Séguin, 2009;McBride-Chang & Nagy Jacklin, 1993).…”