Children’s play fuelled by Doctor Who and Jeremy Kyle

Traditional children’s playground games are not dying out and are thriving, fuelled by popular culture.

New research launched today by the Institute of Education, the University of East London and the University of Sheffield, and British Library website – www.bl.uk/playtimes –  is the result of two years’ observation of children’s play in a Sheffield and London school playground.

Researchers found that games consoles, popular music and television continued to add themes and fantasy scenarios to play, with children acting out stories ranging from the Jeremy Kyle Show to Doctor Who.

The Children’s Playground Games and Songs in the New Media Age report was funded by £600,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

It forms part of the Beyond Text programme, aiming to find out how cultural practices feed from different forms and media.

Professor Jackie Marsh of University of Sheffield said: “The project has shown how childhood is changing in a new media age. But today’s children have to manage an increasingly complex world of technology and information and the project has shown how these aspects of their lives are crucially important for their social, emotional and cultural development. The playground provides an important space for children to engage with how their culture is changing in a digital age.”