Children, Media and Playground Cultures Ethnographic Studies of School Playtimes

We often see children engaging with media - playing videogames, trading Pokémon cards, or acting out superhero fantasies. But what do we know about children's self-directed play in the context of their media cultures? This book provides in-depth analyses of children's media-referenced play on two primary school playgrounds in different cities in the UK. Drawing on ethnographic accounts of children's media-referenced play in UK playgrounds, as well as historical documents and contemporary media products, this book sets out an in-depth analysis of the current state of children's playground experiences. The aim of the book is to provide in-depth case studies of several genres of children's play as well as making connections to broader theories. The analyses consider a wide range of concepts including learning, fantasy, communication and issues relating to identities. As such the book appeals to a large audience covering a variety of disciplines including folklore, media and cultural studies, education, sociology, and childhood studies.

Rebekah Willett is an Assistant Professor of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.



Chris Richards is a Senior Lecturer in Media Arts Education at the Institute of Education, London, UK. He is the author of Young People, Popular Culture and Education (2011), Forever Young: Essays on Young Adult Fictions (2008) and Teen Spirits: Music and Identity in Media Education (1998).



Jackie Marsh is Professor of Education at the University of Sheffield, UK. She is an Editor of the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy (Sage).



Andrew Burn is Professor of Media Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, UK.



Julia Bishop is a Researcher at the University of Sheffield and the University of Aberdeen, UK. She is co-editor of Play Today in the Primary School Playground: (2001), a co-author of Inclusion of Disabled Children in Primary School Playgrounds (2005) and music editor of The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs (2012).

1. Play, Media and Children's Playground Cultures
2. An Overview of Games and Activities on Two Primary School Playgrounds
3. Children as Researchers
4. Framing and Interpreting Children's Play
5. Reasons for Rhythm: Multimodal Perspectives on Musical Play
6. Computer Games on the Playground: Ludic Systems, Dramatized Narrative and Virtual Embodiment
7. Superheroes, Naughty Mums and Witches: Pretend Family Play amongst Seven to Ten Year-Olds
8. Agonistic Scenarios
9. Parody, Homage and Dramatic Performances
10. Conclusion: Forms, Functions and the Ethnographic Challenge