Editors
- Georgia Allen-Baker, Northumbria University
- Philiipa Velija, University of Roehampton
Description
This special issue explores the purpose and meaning of leisure in the early years of child development, from birth to five years, and its role in family wellbeing and social-emotional development. The special issue recognizes leisure practices during this period as foundational yet understudied, shaped by economic resources, cultural norms, gender roles, policy environments, and access to spaces and services.
The call welcomes research examining diverse leisure practices including play, cultural activities, outdoor engagement, travel, and digital leisure across different global contexts. Submissions should critically examine the structural conditions that influence participation and access, considering intersectional inequalities and representation in leisure provision.
Contributions from various theoretical and methodological perspectives are encouraged, including qualitative and quantitative research, with particular interest in interdisciplinary work from sociology, education, public health, psychology, geography, and childhood studies.
Potential topics
- Parental values, motivations, and decision-making in leisure for young children
- Negotiation of family time, work-life balance, and leisure priorities
- Intergenerational transmission of leisure preferences and behaviours
- Availability and accessibility of leisure opportunities for early years children
- Urban/rural differences and spatial inequalities
- Role of public, private, and community spaces (parks, museums, libraries, play centres)
- Intersectional inequalities in early years leisure
- Policy and institutional factors shaping access to enrichment
- Inclusion and representation in leisure marketing, programming, and policy
- Comparative and cross-cultural studies of early years leisure practices
- Global leisure trends and cultural transfer in early years programming
- Indigenous and alternative approaches to play and early learning through leisure
- The role of structured and informal enrichment activities in supporting cognitive, social, and emotional development in early childhood
- The balance between adult-led and child-led experiences
- Links between leisure, play, and early childhood development
- Family leisure as a site for bonding, resilience, and wellbeing
- Tensions between structured enrichment and child-led play
- The rise of digital and screen-based leisure for young children
- Parental mediation and digital inequalities
- Sustainability, environmental consciousness, and nature-based leisure in the early years
- Participatory, creative, and ethnographic methods for studying early years leisure
- Conceptual frameworks connecting leisure studies with early childhood education, sociology of family, or critical policy analysis