Play 

The ChildLab team conducts research on play, the competencies of adult players, and the comprehensive support of play in ECEC settings.

Play is a key activity for preschoolers, developing their initiative, imagination, and creativity. Pretend play involves the child creating an imaginary situation, acting within a semantic framework, and directing their own intentions. It is through play that children understand experiences, try out new roles, and transform their experiences, changing their attitude toward reality. In the safe, symbolic space of play, children learn to act in situations of uncertainty, listen to others and express their own intentions, create collaboration, and playfully solve emerging problems.

Supporting play requires adults to observe, improvise, flexibly respond to spontaneous situations, and partner with the child. Our research shows that adults rarely participate in joint play as mediators and partners, preferring a detached position. This is largely due to the lack of methodological support for teachers and the absence of the necessary conditions for adult players in kindergartens.

ChildLab team members are members of the international SIG Rethinking Play EECERA play research group and are the authors of the Play Environment assessment tool, research articles, and methodological guides for supporting children’s play.

The ChildLab team conducts assessments of the quality of play environments, online trainings for pedagogical play observation and reflective video analysis, training for kindergarten teams on play supervision, and consulting with parents on setting up a home play environment.

Iakshina, A.N., Trifonova, E.V., Starodubtseva, E.A., Kuzmina, V.V. (2025). The interrelation between preschool teachers’ play support quality and their level of reflection. Psychological Science and Education, 30(3), 5–17. 

Shiyan, O.A., Iakshina, A.N., Oskina, Y.O. (2024). The Interrelation between Initiative in Play and Dialectical Thinking in Preschool Age. Psychological Science and Education, 29(2), 5–14.

Iakshina, A.N., Le-van, T.N. (2023). Play Support Strategies of Preschool Teachers with Different Perspectives on Play and Its Role in Child’s Development. Cultural-Historical Psychology, 19(2), 99–106.

Iakshina, A.N., Le-van, T.N. (2022). Preschool Teachers’ Views on Children’s Play and its Observation. Cultural-Historical Psychology, 18(3), 32–40.