Quality play in a Cyber village

Abstract

We are all clear that the world is changing and the world we, as today's adults, grew up in is not the world young children are experiencing today. While we may have run around outside, climbed trees and played hopscotch, young children of today experience a different world where it is not safe to play unsupervised outside, and where formal, organised activities often take the place of free play Children are creating their understanding of the world based on different experiences than those we underwent It is only to be expected that the result will be different understandings of the world. Despite our inability to share their world views, it remains our responsibility to guide and support children in their learning so that they may 'boldly go where no man has gone before'. In this section I aim to examine the research relating to cyber-play and argue that we have responsibilities, as early childhood professionals, to support children's engagement in cyber-play in order to support them in belonging to an increasingly cyber-world In contrast to many writing in this area, I do not believe cyber-play is negative and that we should impose significant limits to children's cyber-play.