Howard P. Chudacoff, Professor of American History at Brown University and author of the critically acclaimed new book CHILDREN AT PLAY: An American History (New York University Press, hardcover, $27.95), sheds light on this subject at Child's Play: An Evening with Howard Chudacoff, Wednesday, October 24, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Strong National Museum of Play in cooperation with New York University Press.
Today's parents may seem overly involved in their children's extracurricular activities—but just a few decades ago, children simply went outside to play. How do children play, and what does it tell us about ourselves?
The lecture will be followed by a book signing and light refreshments. The audience will also be treated to historical examples of children's toys and playthings culled from Strong's toy collections. Admission is FREE.
"Chudacoff's work gives historical depth to debates that continue to rage over what constitutes appropriate child's play."—Publisher's Weekly
Soccer. Little League. Ballet. Karate.
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 readings of the work of educators, journalists, market researchers, and scholars—Chudacoff digs into the "underground" of play. Ranging over the last 300 years, he contrasts the activities that genuinely occupied children's time with what adults thought children ought to 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." According to The New York Times: "The tension between how children spend their free time and how adults want them to spend it runs through (the book) like a yellow line smack down the middle of a highway."
CHILDREN AT PLAY highlights the transformations of play that have occurred throughout American history, 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 author considers the findings, observations, and theories of numerous social scientists along with those of fellow historians. One of his most profound conclusions is that the ability of American children to play independently has diminished over time, with unfortunate consequences for children, for the adults they become, and for our society at large.
Chudacoff presents fresh historical depth to current discussions about such topics as childhood obesity, delinquency, learning disabilities, and the many ways that children spend their time when adults aren't looking.
Howard P. Chudacoff is George L. Littlefield Professor of American History at Brown University. His many books include How Old Are You? Age Consciousness in American Culture, and The Age of the Bachelor: Creating an American Subculture. -- www.strongmuseum.org
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