The Play Cycle in Practice: Supporting, Observing, and Reflecting on Children's Play

by Pete King

Overview

This book explores how the Play Cycle can help practitioners to observe and understand children’s play and support their interactions with children. It explains the six elements of the Play Cycle – pre cue, play cue, play return, play frame, flow, and annihilation – and shows how practitioners can use this to guide their interventions.

Building on the author’s research and including an updated and revised theory of the Play Cycle, the book applies the Play Cycle to key aspects of provision alongside examples from a wide range of settings. Chapters cover:

• The indoor and outdoor environment and resources
• Child-led and non-directive play including risk
• The adult role, play maintenance and interventions
• The Play Cycle and Play Cycle Observation Method
• The Play Cycle in Policy and Practice

Including vignettes and reflective questions, this text brings the theory and application of the Play Cycle fully up-to-date and is essential reading for practitioners and those studying play-related courses, for example, playwork, childcare, and early years education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040411070
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/20/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	130
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Pete King is a Senior Lecturer at Swansea University and the Programme Director for the MA in Developmental and Therapeutic Play. He is co-author of The Play Cycle: Theory, Research and Application, and his research has been published both nationally and internationally in academic journals. Pete has been involved in children’s play since 1996 and this book is a combination of nearly 30 years professional practice, teaching, research.

Table of Contents

Foreword - Dr Shelly Newstead and Kathy Brodie

Introduction: How it all began

Chapter 1: The Play Cycle Revised and updated

Chapter 2: The Play Cycle and The Play Environment

Chapter 3: The Play Cycle and Child-Led Play

Chapter 4: The Play Cycle and the Role of the Adult

Chapter 5: The Play Cycle Observation Method (PCOM)

Conclusion: A Brief Recap of the Play Cycle and Potential Challenges for Professional

Editorial Reviews

The Play Cycle in Practice is a very welcome resource for the children's services sector. The discussion about the features of children at play and playing is insightful. The reflective questions throughout help adults to understand the connections with children and their role in play. Understanding the Play Cycle helps adults to be effective in their work with children. Children’s play is predominantly a child-focused initiative. However, organisations in society have deemed that adults have a responsibility to be part of this process. The discussion and examples about the Play Cycle are predominantly gathered from the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, each of the chapters contains elements that are highly relevant to international communities. Understanding the Play Cycle means that adults can understand more deeply children’s perspectives and behaviours.

This book is relevant to a wide range of disciplines including educators, teachers, occupational therapists, play therapists, and social workers who work with children and young people. The ideas about the Play Cycle are applicable in a diverse range of settings including early childhood centres, adventure playgrounds, schools kindergartens, and hospital play therapy centres just to name a few. It is an essential resource for those who are interested in children and young people's play.”

Dr Jennifer Cartmel, Associate Professor, Griffith University, Australia

“This book provides a practical and insightful view of the Play Cycle and its relevance today for anyone working with children. The importance of play is central to the chapters, outlining how the Play Cycle can be implemented and the significance of this for developing reflective professionals. The vignettes and quotes from those working with the Play Cycle provide relevant and real-life examples from practice. Navigating the different situations and systems where the Play Cycle is relevant can be complex. The reflective questions in each chapter support self-reflection and develop confidence for those familiar with or new to the Play Cycle.”

Dr Natalie Canning, The Open University, UK

From the Publisher