Towards a New Measure of Playfulness: The Capacity to Fully and Freely Engage in Play

The current study involved the development and validation of a new measure of playfulness, the Project Joy Playfulness Scale (PJPS). The PJPS was designed specifically as a brief teacher-report measure for use in the preschool classroom. Playfulness was hypothesized to include four dimensions: Active Engagement, Internal Control, Joyfulness, and Social Connection. Blending academic knowledge with on-the-ground clinical experience, the measure was collaboratively developed and then tested in two separate phases of data collection. In the first phase of the study, two hundred and twenty-two preschool students aged three to five were rated by two classroom teachers on the alpha version of the PJPS. Data from the first phase was used to identify the best-performing items, narrowing to the final set of twenty questions. The four factor structure (with five items per factor) demonstrated strong goodness of fit. In the second phase of the study, one hundred and twenty preschool students were rated by two classroom teachers on the beta version of the PJPS and a criterion measure, the Children\u27s Playfulness Scale (CPS). Data from the second phase independently confirmed the factor structure of the PJPS and evidenced criterion validity with the CPS. As hypothesized, the PJPS factor scores demonstrated strong positive correlations with the CPS. Overall, the current study established cross-sample generalizabilty of the four-factor structure and provided preliminary evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Inter-rater reliability and demographic differences based on age and gender are also reviewed

Prevalence and Types of School‐Based Out‐of‐School Time Programs at Elementary Schools and Implications for Student Nutrition and Physical Activity

BACKGROUND Out‐of‐school time (OST) programs are an important setting for supporting student health and academic achievement. This study describes the prevalence and characteristics of school‐based OST programs, which can inform efforts to promote healthy behaviors in this setting. METHODS A nationally representative sample of public elementary schools (N = 640) completed surveys in 2013‐2014. Administrators reported on OST programs and policies at their school. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the prevalence of school‐based OST programs, adjusting for school characteristics. Among schools with OST programs (N = 475), chi‐square tests identified school characteristics associated with having an OST policy about physical activity or nutrition. RESULTS Three fourths of elementary schools (75.6%) had a full‐ or partial‐year school‐based OST program, with 30.8% having both. Full‐ and partial‐year programs were significantly less prevalent in rural and township areas versus urban settings. Only 27.5% of schools with OST programs reported having physical activity and/or nutrition policies. CONCLUSIONS Most US elementary schools have an on‐site OST program, but disparities in access exist, and most lack policies or awareness of existing policies regarding physical activity and nutrition. To maximize OST programs\u27 potential benefits, strategies are needed to increase access to programs and physical activity and/or nutrition policy adoption