Play is crucial to the learning and development of children in the early years. The third edition of Play in the Early Years is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of play for children from birth to 8 years old. Drawing on classical and contemporary theories, this text examines social, cultural and institutional approaches to play, and explores a range of strategies for successfully integrating play into early years settings and primary classrooms. This edition features a new chapter on conceptual playworlds, which demonstrates what conceptual playworlds look like to infants and toddlers, pre-schoolers, and children transitioning into school. The text features classroom vignettes and photographs designed to help students connect theory to practice, and reflection questions and research activities encourage in-depth reflection and extend learning. Highly regarded by early childhood researchers and practitioners alike, Play in the Early Years remains an essential resource for pre-service students.

Marilyn Fleer is an Australian Research Council Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow, who holds the Foundation Chair of Early Childhood Education and Development in the Faculty of Education, Monash University. She is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education at the University of Oxford, a Second Professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and an Honorary Professor at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark. She was awarded the 2019 Ashley Goldsworthy Award for outstanding leadership in university–business collaboration.