View the Table of Contents
Read the Introduction
Hear the author interview on NPR's Morning Edition
aAt a time when childrenas play seems under siege, Howard
Chudacoffas history--the first of its kind--arrives to tell us what
we are letting slip away. . . . His history demonstrates that the
topic of play is anything but trivial. And by showing us where
weave been, he can help us decide where, as a culture, we want to
go.a
--"Wilson Quarterly"
aA fascinating and provocative survey. . . . Chudacoff builds up
a scathing critique of modern parentsa intrusion in childrenas
play.a
--"New York Times Book Review"
aIn this wonderfully polished, scholarly treatment of children
and play from Colonial times to the present, Chudacoff uses
excellent historical methodology and perceptive psychological
insights, putting primary sources to good use, as he presents an
illustrated, chronological history of children at play from ages
six to 12.a
--"Library Journal" (starred review)
aIn tracing the history of play over the American centuries,
Chudacoff makes the mid-seventeenth century sound like our own
time, only better.a
--"Slate.com"
a[Chudacoffas] history demonstrates that the topic of play is
anything but trivial. And by showing us where weave been, he can
help us decide where, as a culture, we want to go.a
--"The Wilson Quarterly"
aThe tension between how children spend their free time and how
adults want them to spend it runs through Chudacoffas book like a
yellow line smack down the middle of a highway. His critique is
increasingly echoed today by parents, educators and childrenas
advocates who warn that organized activities, overscheduling and
excessiveamounts of homework are crowding out free time and
constricting childrenas imaginations and social skills.a
--"The New York Times"
aChildren at Play is a strong addition to the growing literature
on childhood, but itas also good reading for adults seeking a fresh
perspective on their own kids.a
--"American Heritage"
aChudacoffas work gives historical depth to debates that
continue to rage over what constitutes appropriate childas
play.a
--"Publishers Weekly"
"Shrewd, balanced, witty, and important. Chudacoff has written a
sweeping history that encompasses boys and girls, black children
and white, rich and poor, children on farms and in cities. He shows
how children play alone and with each other, and how they use their
imaginations to create a world apart from their parents. This is
historical synthesis at its finest, and instantly becomes an
essential text in this new and dynamic area of inquiry."
--Paula S. Fass, author of "Children of a New World: Society,
Culture, and Globalization"
a"Children at Play" is a brilliant, richly researched study that
foregrounds childrenas voices, offering a message that could not be
more timely or profound: That the history of childrenas play
consists of an ongoing struggle between adults who seek to improve
and safeguard the young, and kids themselves, who have sought to
create worlds of play that are truly their own.a --Steven Mintz,
author of "Huckas Raft: A History of American Childhood"
"In this beautifully written book, Howard Chudacoff lets us peer
into the diverse playworlds of America's children across time and
place. Informed by deep historical research and balanced with the
best sociological and psychological theory, Chudacoff shows us how
children (often in spite of adults) used play to express their
freedom and themselves."
--Gary Cross, author of "The Cute and the Cool: Wondrous Innocence
and Modern American Children's Culture"
If you believe the experts, "child's play" is serious business.
From sociologists to psychologists and from anthropologists to
social critics, writers have produced mountains of books about the
meaning and importance of play. But what do we know about how
children "actually" play, especially American children of the last
two centuries? In this fascinating and enlightening book, Howard
Chudacoff presents a history of children's play in the United
States and ponders what it tells us about ourselves.
Through expert investigation in primary sources-including dozens
of children's diaries, hundreds of autobiographical recollections
of adults, and a wealth of child-rearing manuals-along with
wide-ranging reading of the work of educators, journalists, market
researchers, and scholars-Chudacoff digs into the "underground" of
play. He contrasts the activities that genuinely occupied
children's time with what adults thought children should be
doing.
Filled with intriguing stories and revelatory insights, Children
at Play provides a chronological history of play in the U.S. from
the point of view of children themselves. Focusing on youngsters
between the ages of about six and twelve, this is history "from the
bottom up." It highlights the transformations of play that have
occurred over the last 200 years, paying attention not only to the
activities of the cultural elite but to those of working-class men
and women, to slaves, and to Native Americans. In addition, the
authorconsiders the findings, observations, and theories of
numerous social scientists along with those of fellow
historians.
Chudacoff concludes that children's ability to play
independently has attenuated over time and that in our modern era
this diminution has frequently had unfortunate consequences. By
examining the activities of young people whom marketers today call
"tweens," he provides fresh historical depth to current discussions
about topics like childhood obesity, delinquency, learning
disability, and the many ways that children spend their time when
adults aren't looking.
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