This aim of this study was to ascertain if exposure to adult-mediated play activities in a crèche would improve children's participation in play and in social interaction. Twelve children of both sexes, aged from 22 to 26 months, participated in 20 collective play activity sessions, three times a week. We observed the children before and after the intervention and analyzed the observation records in terms of children's participation in play and environment-oriented behavior. By means of comparisons between pre-and post-intervention measures using the Wilcoxon Test, we detected a reduction in solitary play and an increase in associative play. Positive interaction with peers increased, while negative interaction with adults tended to be reduced. The research contributes to practices that promote the development of young children in crèches.
Child day care; Childhood development; Recreation
