Two aspects of identity construction in children’s play

Bibliographic Data

ID7514616
AuthorsDan Mamlok (0000-0002-3910-7169, Tel Aviv University, corresponding author), Sandra Chang Kredl (Concordia University)
Year2026
Volume15
Issue1
Pages39-59
Publication date2026-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Play (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2159-4937 • E-ISSN: 2159-4953
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21594937.2025.2611564
OpenAlexW7124816418
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited16

This paper examines how children’s engagement and play with their everyday cultural materials – such as toys, books, digital games, and drawing – influence their understanding of social reality. Drawing on sociocultural theories of identity and symbolic interaction, we explore how children express their understanding of common cultural constructs, including the notion of the generalized other and forms of empowerment, in their play. We engaged in dynamic interviews and naturalistic observation with seven children, ranging in age from 4 to 11 years, in their homes and with their own online and offline play materials. A series of three to four play-based interviews were conducted with each child, spaced over a period of five months. Interviews were audio-recorded, and data were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Two main themes emerged: Children’s play with social constructs, and children’s play and empowerment. We argue that recognizing the sociocultural dimensions of children’s play offers insight into how they internalize, reproduce, and sometimes challenge social norms, particularly in how they perceive the self and the other.

Identity (music · Identity formation · Child and Animal Learning Development · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Innovative Education and Learning Practices

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Open DOIOpen Access