Keywords
young children, preschooler, leisure, play
Abstract
We conducted a focused search of nine pre-determined leisure journals to (1) determine the prevalence and scope of research on children younger than 6 years (i.e., young children) published in leisure- focused outlets, (2) describe study designs and research methods used to study this age group, (3) tabulate definitions of child leisure, and (4) provide an overview of the studies’ findings. Overall, findings indicate a marked absence of young children from leisure research. Only 28 articles in almost half a century of leisure journal publications met inclusion criteria. Eight studies focused on children as the subject or participant, five articles relied on parents’ or teachers’ reports of their children’s leisure, and 15 articles studied the leisure of parents of children younger than 6 years. We conclude children’s voices are missing in leisure publications and discuss the implications this has for the study of leisure in young children and families.
Original Publication Citation
"Where have all the children gone? A review of the presence of children under 6 years in leisure publication outlets", Journal of Leisure Research, 2021
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
McGovern, Rachel A.; Olschewski, Ericka J.; and Hodge, Camilla, "Where Have All the Children Gone? A Review of the Presence of Children Under 6 Years in Leisure Publication Outlets" (2022). Faculty Publications. 8739.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/8739
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2022
Publisher
Journal of Leisure Research
Language
English
College
Marriott School of Business
Department
Experience Design and Management
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