How Maltese parents and their children perceive play activities

Abstract

The study investigated the Maltese children's and parents' attitudes to play activities. A random sample of 84, 3 - 6 year old children (28% from private schools) were interviewed and a questionnaire was filled by all their parents. A quantitative analysis of data revealed, that most parents give more importance to their children's academic activities, rather than play activities. The Chi-squared test showed significant differences between year groups, between sexes, as well as between parents and children. Older children (5-6 year aids) have less time available for play, especially at school where most of the time is spent in reading and writing, in contrast with 3 and 4 year olds. Girls spend more time doing homework than boys. Thus girls are spending less time in playing than boys. Parents prefer their children to read and write because they are more interested in the academic achievements of their children. On the other hand, children prefer playing and drawing. Maltese parents prefer their children to engage in play activities from which their children could gain some 'educational' benefit. This is similar to the findings about parents in England as reported in the literature, where they mentioned the value of play in teaching specific skills such as number counting and word building.