Schoolchildren’s play : A tool for health education

• Objective: The purpose of this study was to gain more knowledge about the phenomenon of the inner child in relation to health and well-being as reflected in play experienced by schoolchildren. Design/method: Participants were 20 schoolchildren recruited from a primary school in a medium-size city in central Sweden. The children who agreed to participate were 14 girls and 6 boys aged between 9 and 10 years old in grade 3. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to analyse the data consisting of the schoolchildren’s drawings and transcribed interviews. Participants’ verbal reflections on their drawings enabled deeper insight into their lived experiences of play. Results: Findings from this study demonstrate how schoolchildren are influenced by the inner child in childhood to handle conflicts, to cope, to make choices, to build relationships to connect and to dream about the future. The schoolchildren in this study developed their coping skills in conflict situations as part of friendship making. Conclusion: The value play offers for health and well-being reveals how schoolchildren are influenced by the inner child in childhood. Gaining knowledge from schoolchildren’s own voices about play makes a worthwhile contribution to research. In addition, the value play provides to schoolchildren’s health and well-being suggest that play can be an important tool as part of health education.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsterapi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Therapy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Annan hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Other Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Friendship

health promotion

inner child

play

schoolchildren

Occupational therapy

Arbetsterapi

Health Science

Hälsovetenskap

Nursing

Omvårdnad

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)