PARENTAL PERCEPTIONS ON THE

IMPORTANCE OF
Ria Jhoanna C. Ducusin
Marison Dy PLAY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
This study aimed to explore and compare the factors associated with
ABSTRACT the perceptions of parents of kindergarten students in private and
public schools about play and its importance to children. Seventy-nine
parents completed the questionnaire to look into the major factors
that affect a parent’s perceptions, namely, opinions, experiences,
expectations, attitudes, and knowledge. The average scores gathered
for these factors, which were computed through Likert scales, served
as the level of importance parents give to child play. The differences
between the public and private school respondents were compared with
average sums. Based on their perceptions of play and its importance
to them, both the public and private school respondents had a positive
view of play and all agreed that play is important for health, learning
and development. In terms of the level of importance given to play,
private school respondents had a higher average compared to public
school respondents with a percentage difference ranging from 2-8%.
Overall, private school respondents showed greater importance given
to play in all the major factors that can affect parental perceptions.

Keywords: kindergarten students, parental perceptions, play in early

childhood

Volume 5 Number 1 1
INTRODUCTION
Early childhood is considered as a crucial
stage since it provides pivotal experiences and
knowledge to equip children for their future
(United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF],
2012). This stage also greatly affects the child’s
physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, and
social domains of development. Furthermore,
cognitive and physical skills are greatly
assimilated from birth up to six years old,
the period when children would be needing
guidance, stimulation and high involvement
for learning (French, 2007). Failure to provide
these may prohibit the children from optimum
development and may lead to developmental
delays (UNICEF, 2012).
Theories of play present various reasons as to
why children play such as to expend surplus
energy, to replenish energy, or to resolve
conflicts but Mellou (2006) pointed out that the
classical and modern theories of play present
play as an avenue for personal expression
and social adaptation. Further, research
on play links it to cognitive development.
Specifically, play is a process associated with
all of the senses which contribute to child
development (Fong and Resnick, 1986). Play
also lets children discover and learn new
things, explore their surroundings, and solve
simple problems. Children use different kinds
of toys and educational materials to support
their creativity and imagination as they play
(Avants et al., 2012). Research has found that
being sedentary indoors may lead to negative
development outcomes. Play is the most
effective way to develop physical fitness in
children and counter obesity (Maliyok, 2015).
The brain also develops faster for children who
play outdoors and indoors (Narvaez, 2014a;
Wang and Aamodt, 2012). Facing challenges
and risks in play let them see their capacity
physically, intellectually, and socially (Little and
Wyver, 2008). Play reduces stress (Wang and
Aamodt, 2012) and enhances their curiosity,
creativity and confidence when communicating
with the environment and other children
(Makovichuk et al., 2014).
2 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016
Early childhood is the stage when the child’s
brain develops faster so it is a critical phase
for learning. One of the major avenues for
learning is through play. The United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
emphasizes, in Article 31, that children have
the right to play and to engage in various
recreational activities (UNICEF, n.d.). But it has
been observed that parents do not seem to
give much importance to play nowadays unlike
in past generations when children were allowed
to play freely, indoors or outdoors. Thus, a
crucial concern in early childhood development
is the children’s opportunity to play as affected
by parental knowledge and perceptions about
it. Some reasons why parents have various
perceptions of play are their differences in
culture, intelligence, and understanding (Sharif,
2009). Some parents do not allow their children
to play because they do not see that their
children will learn or benefit from it. There are
some who allow their child to play indoors
but not outdoors for various reasons. Some
parents also lack the knowledge that play has
an important role in the child’s growth and
development. There are different perceptions
of parents regarding play in early childhood
which may affect their attitude towards it and
their children. Determining their opinions,
experiences, expectations, attitudes and
knowledge towards play may lead to a greater
understanding of why parents perceive play in
a particular manner.
Generally, this study aimed to explore the
factors associated with the perception of play
of parents of kindergarten students in private
and public schools. Specifically, it aimed to
describe the socio-demographic profile of the
private and public school parent -respondents,
discover the parental perceptions of play
and the importance of play for children,
determine the level of importance parents give
to play based on the total score from the five
factors (opinions, experiences, expectations,
attitudes, and knowledge) which determine
one’s perceptions, and differentiate parental
perceptions on play between public and private
school respondents.
This study may provide evidence for adults
to consider play as necessary and should be
encouraged on a daily basis. It is a necessity
for children and their right as developing
humans. The results may also motivate
early childhood education and development
programs to highlight play as an avenue of
learning and development. Since studies of
play from parents’ viewpoints are few in the
Philippine setting, results of this study may
contribute knowledge on parental perceptions
of the importance of play in early childhood.
METHODOLOGY
The study employed the descriptive research
design using the survey method. The necessary
data were gathered through a survey with
both structured and unstructured questions.
The study was conducted in Barangay Batong
Malake, Los Baños, Laguna which has a
population of 104,494 with a land area of 5,650
hectares (Laguna Travel Guide, 2014).
The study focused on only two schools
from Barangay Batong Malake, a public
and a private elementary school. Complete
enumeration of respondents was applied.
The estimated population for public school
respondents was 79 but only 57% (47)
participated while the estimated population for
private school respondents was 59 but only
54% (32) participated. Since the questionnaires
were sent home, other parents may have
forgotten to return it or they preferred not to
participate. The enrolled kindergarten children
were aged 5 years old.
Data were collected through a survey
questionnaire which was constructed based
on literature reviews on perceptions of play.
The questionnaire was validated by a professor
in child development and was pretested to
parents prior to actual data gathering. The final
questionnaire comprised of seven parts to
look into major factors which affect a person’s
perceptions, namely, opinion, past experiences,
expectations, attitudes, and knowledge on
play. The first part gathered socio-demographic
data. The second part is on the parental
opinion towards child play, composed of
seven statements which were answered with
a six-point Likert scale measuring degree of
agreement. At the end of this part, respondents
were asked if they thought their opinions
toward child play would help develop their child
better in the succeeding years. The third part
is on the respondents’ past play experiences
during their preschool years, comprised of
seven statements which were also answered
with a 6-point Likert scale. At the end of this
part, respondents were asked if their play
experiences affected child play as well as their
perceived changes in play then and now. The
fourth part is about the parental expectations
for the child and child play, composed of
seven statements with a 6-point Likert scale.
At the end of this part, they were asked if
their expectations of their child affected how
their child plays. The fifth part is on parental
attitudes towards play, composed of seven
statements with a 6-point Likert Scale. At
the end of this part, they were asked the top
statement among the seven statements which
they thought affected child’s play the most.
The sixth part is the parental knowledge on
the importance of play, composed of seven
statements with a 6-point Likert scale. For
these five factors which affect a person’s
perception, the total score a respondent could
get is 42, a mean of six (6) and a mode of six
(6). Some of the statements in the questionnaire
were reverse coded to check for consistency
of responses. The seventh part is how parents
view play, composed of two open-ended
questions about how they defined play and its
importance to them. All in all, there were seven
open-ended questions related to play aside
from the scales.
A formal letter was given to the selected private
and public schools to ask permission for the
conduct of the study. The questionnaires
were given to the Homeroom teacher of
each kindergarten section to distribute to the
parents or guardian of the child. After a week,
the questionnaires were collected from the
Volume 5 Number 1 3

Homeroom teacher.
Data were analyzed through SPSS. Socio-
demographic data and Likert scale results
were analyzed using the statistical technique
of frequency distribution table and percentage
distribution. Likert scale responses were
ranked based on the level of agreement with
each statement. Negatively-keyed items were
reverse coded before computing for the score.
Descriptive statistics such as mean, median,
mode, range and total were used to analyze
each statement in the five areas of parental
perception of play for public and private school
respondents and then, compared. To measure
the level of importance parents gave to child
play, the score from each of the five scales was
computed and summed. To compare the level
of importance given to play between the public
and private school respondents, the average
for the means was computed.
Qualitative results for the seven open-ended
questions were done by listing the responses
and categorizing these into themes to readily
see the emerging trends in the responses.
The categories used to examine the parents’
definitions of play and its importance were
generated from their responses.
4 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Socio-demographic Data of Parents with
a Child Enrolled in a Public and Private
Kindergarten School
Public School Respondents
Respondents were mostly females (87%),
aged 31-40 years old (45%). Majority (89%) of
the respondents were married. More than half
of the respondents were housewives (60%)
since most of the respondents were female.
There were also variations in occupation like
carpenter, teacher, and sari-sari store owner.
Sixty percent of the respondents did not supply
their monthly income since majority were
housewives. Less than a third have a monthly
income ranging from PHP 10,001 to PHP
20,000. A third reported attending college but
were not able to finish it. More than a third had
two children.
Private School Respondents
Respondents were mostly females (88%) with
more than a third (38%) aged 31-40 years
old. Majority (91%) of the respondents were
married. Most were composed of housewives
(32%) since majority of the respondents were
females. Occupations varied like coffee shop
owner, HR officer, among others. Less than a
third have a monthly income within the range
of PHP 20,001- PHP 30,000. A third finished
college and college units (34% each). Forty one
percent of the respondents had two children.
Table 1 presents the socio-demographic data
of all respondents.
Table 1. Socio-Demographic data of the respondents by school category
Variables All Public Private
(%) (%) (%)
n=79 n=47 n=32
Gender
Male 12.66 13 12
Female 87.34 87 88

Age Group
21-30 22.78 21 25
31-40 41.77 45 38
41-50 25.32 23 28
51-60 10.13 11 9

Marital Status
Single 5.06 7 3
Married 89.87 89 91
Live in 3.80 4 3
Widowed 1.27 - 3

Occupation
Housewife 48.10 60 32
Self-employed 7.59 8 7
Sari-sari store owner 2.53 4 -
Employee 13.92 9 22
Government employee 2.53 2 3
Factory worker 1.27 2 3
Teacher 3.80 2 6
Rates administrative 1.27 2 -
Carpenter 1.27 2 -

Volume 5 Number 1 5
HR officer 1.27 - 3
Administrative officer 1.27 - 3
Head on learning and 1.27 - 3
development
Coffee shop owner 1.27 - 3
Guidance officer 1.27 - 3
Online seller 2.53 - 6
No answer 7.59 9 6

Monthly Income (PHP)

<10,000 12.66 6 22
10,001-20,000 26.58 32 19
20,001-30,000 13.92 2 31
No answer 48.10 60 28

Educational
Attainment
Elementary level 1.27 2 -
Elementary graduate 5.06 8 -
High school level 13.92 13 16
High school graduate 11.39 26 10
College level 34.18 34 34
College graduate 24.05 17 34
Masters/PhD 2.53 - 6

Number of Children
1 30.38 30 31
2 39.24 38 41
3 20.25 19 22
4 10.13 13 6

6 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016

Parental Definitions of Play and its Importance
Public School Respondents
More than a third of these respondents
each defined play and the reasons why it is
important to them in relation to health, and
learning and development (Table 2). This may
be the visible consequences of play to their
child which influenced their play perceptions.
For health, responses included: “play promotes
a strong and healthy body” and “a child
becomes active physically”. Play is important
to them because a stronger and healthier body
is achieved. For learning and development,
responses included: “play is way of alternative
learning”, “one does not always learn from
books” and “many things can be discovered
through play.” Play is important to them
because it will improve the child and his/her
development; explore knowledge; and the
child becomes aware of their surroundings.
For fun and enjoyment, play was defined as
“a time for their child to enjoy their childhood”
and “an activity engaged in for enjoyment and
recreation.” These were also the reasons why
play is important to them.
Table 2. Public school respondents’ definition
of play and reasons for its importance
% (n=47)
For health 38.3
For learning and development 38.3
For fun and enjoyment 23.4
Private School Respondents
Less than half (43.9%) of these respondents
defined play and the reason why it is important
to them in relation to health (Table 3). This may
be due to how they see playing as a way that
makes their child healthier.
For health, responses included: “play helps
the child to be strong and healthy”; “play helps
in developing a strong body especially when
they play outdoors”; and “play is essential to
healthy child growth and development”. As
they play, children develop the fine and gross
motor skills needed to grow and learn. Play
is important to them because it helps in the
formation of the child’s strong and healthy
body. For learning and development, responses
included: “play promotes the total development
of his/her psychomotor, cognitive and affective
aspects as a human being”; “play is an activity
to enhance the social interaction and attitudes,
helps in problem-solving and being creative”,
and “helps a lot to motivate children’s higher
levels of thinking.” For fun and enjoyment,
responses included: “play is an entertainment
for children because it is a time for them to
enjoy” and “it is an activity people engage
in to have fun.” Play is important to them
because through play, the child has a source
of happiness. Other answers were “play helps
the child to be independent” and “play is self-
fulfillment.”
Table 3. Private Shool respondents’ definition
of play and reasons for its importance
% (n=32)
For health 43.90
For learning and development 29.27
For fun and enjoyment 19.51
Others 7.31
Level of Importance Parents Give to Play per
Factor Contributing to One’s Perceptions
Parental Opinions on Play
Public School Respondents
Table 4 shows that the statement “Children
learn through play” (Statement 1) had the
highest level of agreement among the
statements with a total of 229 and a mode of
five (somewhat agree). It also had the highest
median among the statements which means,
on the average, public school respondents
somewhat agree that children learn through
play.
Babuc (2015) also found that parents of
preschoolers saw play as supporting child
development and education. However, the
parents in the study also emphasized the use of
Volume 5 Number 1 7
educational toys and activities which validate
the parents’ high agreement with Statement
3 “Toys will make my child educated” with a
total of 197, the third highest level of agreement
among the statements. Avants et al. (2012)
forward the idea that toys stimulate a child’s
physical and cognitive development because
aside from being a tool to play with, it is also a
tool for learning, making parents feel that they
are doing the right thing to further their child’s
development (Avants et al., 2012).
The second highest level of agreement was
“Children should be given a lot of hours
playing” (Statement 6) with a total of 215 and
a mode and median of four which means, on
the average, respondents slightly agree that
children should be given a lot of hours playing.
This may be an expressed wish of parents
for their children since, in reality, schoolwork
demands greater time. According to the
American Academy of Pediatrics (2009), young
children aged two to five years old should play
several times a day for a total of 60 minutes
of unstructured play. Today’s generation only
spend an average of one hour and 17 minutes
playing outside while the previous generation,
who are the parents today, spent an average of
two hours and 34 minutes (Singh, 2014).

Table 4. Descriptive statistics for the Opinion statements for public and private school
respondents.
Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement
1b 2c 3d 4e 5f 6g 7h
Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private

Mean 4.87 5.3 4.06 3.71 4.19 4.71 4.19 4.96 3.27 4.12 4.57 4.37 3.00 3.87

Median 5.00 6.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 5.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 4.50 3.00 4.00

Mode 5.00 6.00 4.00 5.00 3.00a 6.00 3.00 6.00 4.00 4.00 4.00a 4.00a 2.00a 5.00

Range 3.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

Total 229 170 191 119 197 151 197 159 154 132 215 140 141 124

Total
4.87 5.3 4.06 3.71 4.19 4.71 4.19 4.96 3.27 4.12 4.57 4.37 3.00 3.87
Average

n = 47 (Public school respondents)

n = 32 (Private school respondents)
a
Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is shown
b
Children learn through play
c
Play hinders my child from getting high grades
d
Toys will make my child educated
e
My child’s learning can be stimulated by outdoor play
f
Play leads more to negative results (e.g., danger) than positive results
g
Children should be given a lot of hours playing
h
It is enough to limit my child to play only indoors

8 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016

At the end of this scale, respondents were
asked whether they think their opinion towards
child play would make their child better in
later years. Majority answered yes (85%)
because they thought that play assisted in
cognitive development through discovery and
exploration; and also, the emotional and mental
health states are enhanced, which are core
building blocks for their transition years (Table
5).
Table 5. Percentage distribution of public and
private school respondents on whether their
child will be better in later years
Public Private
n=47 n=32
Yes 85.10% 87.5%
No 2.13% - skills for social friendships, and greater
No response 12.77% 12.5%
One respondent said that she encouraged her
child to play because she knew that it had a
positive impact on her child’s development.
Another respondent said that letting a child
play made him/her feel that s/he was really
a child. Negative opinions towards child
play centered on play making the child tired
and leaving less time for studies, and also,
meeting an accident as they played. One of the
respondents said that play was only allowed if
someone supervised the child to avoid danger.
One also said that sometimes they were already
the ones who stopped the child from playing if
their child always played.
Private School Respondents
Similarly, most of the respondents strongly
agreed that children learn through play
(Statement 1) where the greatest frequencies
of the answers were six (strongly agree) and its
median was also six with a total of 170. Many of
the respondents may have agreed that children
learn through play since play has a crucial
role for child development in self-regulation,
promoting language abilities, cognition
memory, social competence, and academic
success (NAEYC, 2012). Through play,
children are able to know who they are, and
the environment and people surrounding him/
her (Frobose, 2008). Playing allows the child
to explore the world, to have interaction with
others, to express and control their emotions,
to develop their symbolic and problem-solving
abilities, and to practice emerging skills.
The second highest level of agreement was
for “My child’s learning can be stimulated by
outdoor play” (Statement 4) which had a total
of 159. Compared to other statements, it also
had the lowest minimum and maximum range
difference which means the answers for this
statement were not far from one another. Many
respondents may have agreed that learning
can be stimulated by outdoor play since this
benefits the child in all the developmental
domains (Maliyok, 2015). Examples of such
benefits are physical fitness, risk management,
understanding of rules in play. Santer and
Griffiths (2007) also add that it gives the child
more space in exploring, communicating,
experiencing, and making meaning of what
the natural environment is, which makes it the
most effective learning environment for a child.
Narvaez (2014b) stated that as a child imagines
outdoor scenes, brain development increases
more compared to being indoors. Some
respondents may have also observed from their
child that when they played outside, they used
all the different senses of the body when they
saw animals, birds, and plants; heard the sound
of the rustling leaves; smelled flowers; touched
the bark of a tree; and tasted fruits they picked.
Majority (87.5%) opined that child play would
make their child better in later years. Positive
opinion towards child play included: it helps
as an educating sport activity; promotes good
communication, leadership, builds body and
discipline, and develops interaction skills and
self-confidence. One respondent said that she
raised her three daughters with such discipline
and training and now, all of them are successful
and employed while the youngest is about to
finish college. Another said that she thought
she became more responsible and independent
since she was exposed to play before. Negative
opinions towards child play included: play may
Volume 5 Number 1 9
cause harm to their child; play depends on
safety conditions; and the people their child
would be playing with have to be considered.
One respondent said that choice of play should
be safe and as much as possible indoors for
this to be ensured. Another respondent said
that her child should focus more on studying.
Parental Experiences of Play
Public School Respondents
Statement 6, which is “I learned academically
through discovery while playing,” had the
highest level of agreement among the
respondents which had a total of 205 and a
response frequency of six (Table 6). Generally,
the parents may have experienced this in
their childhood play thus, the high level of
agreement. Playing provides opportunities
for children to learn and helps in their full
development and educational potential through
various types of play like physical play and
pretend play (Whitebread et al., 2012). It allows
the child to explore the world, socialize with
others, learn emotional expression and control,
and develop their symbolic and problem-
solving skills (NAEYC, 2012). Further, NAEYC
(2012) stated that there is a link between play
and foundational capacities, some of which
include memory, self-regulation, oral language
abilities, social skills, and academic success.

Table 6. Descriptive statistics for the Experience statements for public and private school
respondents.
Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement
1b 2c 3d 4e 5f 6g 7h
Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private

Mean 4.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 3.00

Median 5.00 6.00 4.00a 6.00 3.00 3.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 5.00 6.00 5.00 5.00 2.00a

Mode 5.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 5.00 5.00

Range 180 155 202 136 155 124 180 139 174 127 205 146 192 94

Total 3.82 4.84 4.29 4.25 3.29 3.87 3.82 4.34 3.70 3.96 4.36 4.56 4.08 2.93

Total
4.87 5.3 4.06 3.71 4.19 4.71 4.19 4.96 3.27 4.12 4.57 4.37 3.00 3.87
Average

n = 47 (Public school respondents)

n = 32 (Private school respondents)
a
Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is shown
b
I was allowed to play outside, whether alone or with friends, without being supervised
c
I played more often indoors than outdoors
d
My vacant/free time then was more allotted for my academics than playing
e
My preschool years’ highlight was more on play than study.
f
My parents preferred me to not participate in play on occasions like children’s party
g
I learned academically through discovery while playing
h
I got injured when I played a certain thing but I still continued to play it after my recovery

10 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016

The second level of agreement can be seen for
“I played more often indoors than outdoors”
(Statement 2) which had a total of 202 and a
frequency response of four (slightly agree).
Babuc (2015) also found that child play was
more indoors like in the living room or the
child’s room. This may reflect the fear of
parents to let their child play outdoors due to
accidents or strangers who may harm the child.
In the last part, respondents were asked if past
experiences have affected the way their child
plays now. Majority (78.72%) agreed that past
experiences have affected the way their child
plays and this was attributed to technological
advancements available today (Table 7).
Table 7. Responses of public and private
school respondents on whether their past
experiences have affected the way their child
plays
Responses (%)
Public Private
Yes 78.72 75.00
No 8.5 12.50
No response 12.77 12.50
Private School Respondents
The statement which had the highest level
of agreement among the respondents was “I
was allowed to play outside, whether alone
or with friends, without being supervised”
(Statement 1). It had a total of 155 and a mode
of six (strongly agree). It can be seen that the
respondents were allowed to play without
being supervised some three decades ago.
In culturally accepted play (in pre-industrial
societies), parents anticipated their children’s
play and they viewed it as a helpful tool to
keep the children active but parents did
not engage in playing and did not totally
encourage it. Children played more with other
children, whom they called playmates, and
they were not supervised by adults (Gaskins
et al., 2007). Martin (2015) said that previous
generations were free from restrictions and
were less conscious of the dangers or there
were no perceived dangers. They had a lot of
childhood memories that differed from today’s.
Nowadays, the inability to supervise may lead
to unforeseen events that may only lead them
to blame themselves.
The statement “I learned academically through
discovery while playing” (Statement 6) had the
second highest level of agreement which had a
total of 146 and a mode of five. These parents
also experienced the educational potential of
play as they explored materials and events in
their younger years.
The last part of this section asked whether the
respondent’s past experiences have affected
the way their child plays. Three fourths (75%)
agreed with this. Mainly, it was due to safety
concerns. One respondent answered that
before, children were safe and protected since
other people have concern for them, but today,
there are people who harm or kidnap children.
Parental Expectations for the Child
Public School Respondents
Table 8 shows that the statement “I expect
my child to be physically active” (Statement 6)
had the highest level of agreement among the
statements with a total of 220 and a mode of
six (strongly agree).
Play and physical activity go together (Maliyok,
2015; Little and Wyver, 2008). Gross motor
skills are practiced as they run, hop, slide
and jump and their bones and muscles
further strengthen. According to Wang and
Aamodt (2012), play is an indicator of health or
resistance to stress.
Volume 5 Number 1 11
Table 8. Descriptive statistics for the Expectation statements of public and private school
respondents.
Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement
1b 2c 3d 4e 5f 6g 7h
Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private

Median 3.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 3.00 3.00

Mode 1.00a 2.00 4.00 6.00 4.00 4.00a 2.00a 4.00 6.00 4.00 6.00 6.00 4.00 3.00

Range 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

Total
141 97 163 139 186 131 157 101 192 138 220 134 148 96
Average

Total 3.00 3.03 3.46 4.34 3.95 4.09 3.34 3.15 4.08 4.31 4.68 4.18 3.14 3.00

n = 47 (Public school respondents)

n = 32 (Private school respondents)
a
Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is shown
b
Statement 1: I expect my child will learn more in the classroom than during free play
c
Statement 2: I expect my child will enjoy play even though there are a lot of danger risks.
d
Statement 3: I expect my child to always study even if his/her homework is already done
e
Statement 4: I expect my child to always stay indoors for safety
f
Statement 5: I expect my child to learn academically through textbooks than play.
g
Statement 6: I expect my child to be physically active
h
Statement 7: I expect my child to sleep immediately at night than continue playing

because play helps. One respondent answered

The second highest level of agreement was that they let their child play whenever they want
for “I expect my child to learn academically and let them study if their child is in the mood
through textbooks than play” (Statement to study.
5) having a total of 192 and a mode of six
(strongly agree) which shows their belief that
Table 9. Responses of public and private
textbooks have greater education potential
school respondents on whether their
than play. Shiakou and Belsky (2013) found
expectations towards their child affected the
inconsistent parental attitudes toward play
way their child plays
and learning. The parents valued play over
academics but in practice, they gave more time Responses (%)
to academics than play every day. Public Private
In the last part, respondents were asked if their n=47 n=32
expectation towards their child affected the
way their child played (Table 9). More than three Yes 78.72 71.88
fourths agreed that their expectations towards No 8.51 15.63
their child affected the way their child plays by
allowing them to play. Answers included: play No response 12.77 12.50
gives a lesson that may be applicable in later
years and expecting the child to be successful

12 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016

Private School Respondents
The statement “I expect my child will enjoy
play even though there are a lot of danger
risks” (Statement 2) had the highest level of
agreement with a total of 132 and a frequency
answer of 6 (strongly agree). Wang and Aamodt
(2012) state that play prepares the child for real
life. Some level of risk-taking and testing of the
boundaries help children establish what is safe
and what could be dangerous. Parents desire
that their children be safe but preventing them
from too much risks and pains may eventually
make them less adaptive later in life.
The second highest level of agreement was
for “I expect my child to learn academically
through textbooks than play” which has a total
of 138 and a median of four which means that
private school respondents slightly agree that
they expect their child to learn academically
through textbooks than play. Martlew et al.
(2011) studied two classroom types (traditional
approach and play based learning) and they
observed that the traditional learning type
showed less signs of engagement in classroom
activities. The respondents may expect their
child to learn academically through textbooks
than play but research shows otherwise.
The lack of understanding that play has an
important role to child learning makes parents
limit their child’s engagement in it (Oskal, 2005).
Almost three fourths (71.88%) of the
respondents agreed that their expectation of
their child affected how their child played in
terms of hindering them from playing. The most
frequent response was they expected their
child to be successful so they wanted their
child to focus more on their studies.
Parental Attitudes Toward Play
Public School Respondents
The statement which had the highest level
of agreement was “I will allow my child to
play in the rain/lake/mud/trees since it is fun”
(Statement 4) having a total of 192 and a mode
of five (Table 10). All of the statements had
a median of four which means that on the
average, public school respondents slightly
agreed on all the statements for this part.
Outdoor play is an enjoyable activity more so,
when there are natural places for children to
explore with their bodies and senses. Maliyok
(2015) points to access to natural spaces or
incorporation of natural features in play spaces
for greater enjoyment.

Table 10. Descriptive statistics for the Attitude statements for public and private school
respondents
Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement
1b 2c 3d 4e 5f 6g 7h
Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private

Median 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.50 4.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 3.00

Mode 4.00 4.00a 4.00 6.00 4.00 1.00 4.00 5.00a 4.00 3.00 4.00 6.00 2.00a 4.00

Range 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 4.00 5.00 5.00

Total 159 118 189 138 170 103 192 140 175 120 191 160 167 95

Total
3.38 3.68 4.02 4.31 3.61 3.21 4.08 4.37 3.72 3.75 4.06 5.00 3.55 2.96
Average

n = 47 (Public school respondents)

n = 32 (Private school respondents)
a
Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is shown

Volume 5 Number 1 13
b
I prefer that my child does not play since it causes mess and/or noise
c
I will allow my child to play even though it will make him/her dirty
d
I prefer that my child does not play since it is tiresome and there is less time for my child to
study.
e
I will allow my child to play in the rain/lake/mud/trees since it is fun
f
Play will just waste my child’s energy and time so I will only allow them to play for not more than
1 hour.
g
I’ll play with my child if he/she seeks my attention even though it will take a lot of my time.
h
I won’t allow my child to play without my supervision
is given affection, attention, and stimulation
The second highest level of agreement was plus proper nutrition, health care, and
for “I’ll play with my child if he/she seeks my protection by attentive parents (Adeniyi, 2015).
attention even though it will take a lot of my Respondents may also have understood that
time” (Statement 6) with a total of 191 and a their child feels special, loved and appreciated
mode and median of four which means that, when they play with them (Child Development
on the average, public school respondents Institute, 2013).
would give time to be their child’s playmate.
Babuc (2015) found that 81% of the parents in The second highest level of agreement was
his study played with their child and even, with for the statement “I will allow my child to
the spouse. Parents may enjoy playing with play in the rain/lake/mud/trees since it is fun”
their child but also, they may see this as an (Statement 4) which had a total of 140 and a
obligation for their child’s development. mode of four. Nature play could be risky or
dangerous to children but a lot of things can be
At the end of this part, respondents were asked learned with these experiences to let the child
which of the statements reflected most their get out of his/her limitations and explore more
attitude towards child play. Majority (31.91%) (Maliyok, 2015).
answered that “I prefer that my child does
not play since it causes mess and/or noise” At the end of this part, respondents were asked
(Statement 1). The reasons centered on their which of the statements reflected most their
desire for rest and quiet after a day’s work or attitude towards child play. Majority (46.86%)
housework. answered that “I won’t allow my child to
play without my supervision” (Statement 7).
Private School Respondents Supervision is important to them to ensure the
child’s safety from accidents or other sources
The statement “I’ll play with my child if he/she of harm. Babuc (2015) found that 10% of his
seeks my attention even though it will take a parent-respondents had this as a concern since
lot of my time” (Statement 6) had the highest children can be careless and very active.
level of agreement with a total of 160 and a
mode of six. One of the reasons why they may Parental Knowledge on Play
have agreed is that they know their important Public School Respondents
role as a parent and playmate in continuing
the child’s development (UNICEF, 2012). They Statement 1- “Play promotes a healthy
should be the first teacher and coach by letting and strong body” had the highest level of
the child face challenges appropriate for their agreement with a total of 250 and a mode of
age, letting them investigate by themselves, six (Table 11). Playing physically helps in the
and communicating with the surrounding (Child acquisition of gross and fine motor skills and
Development Institute, 2013). Playing with the gives health advantages (Wang and Aamodt,
child also serves as a stress reliever especially 2015). The respondents may be aware of this
for overworked parents (Child Development benefit play gives to children thus, many agreed
Institute, 2013). Better growth, development compared with the other benefits of play. Some
and knowledge acquisition happen as the child television commercials or print media have

14 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016

been about play in the recent years.
The statement which had the second highest
agreement was for “Play promotes the
clarification of gender roles” (Statement 7)
which had a total of 237 and a mode of six
which means that on the average, public school
respondents strongly agreed with this. The
gender roles that children learn are facilitated
by the masculine, feminine or gender-neutral
activities that adults implement in the home or
school (Granger, 2014). The toys or equipment
that are available and how these are presented
by parents may influence child play and how
children learn their expected gender roles.
the media that play or being active is necessary
for physical health, bone growth, muscle
development, and skill acquisition of the hands
and legs.
Statement 5 or “Play promotes the
development of language and creativity” had
the second highest level of agreement with a
total of 177 and a mode of six. Through play,
children acquire language and speech skills
especially when they act out a specific “role”
which leads to forming meaningful speech
(Gleave & Hamilton, 2012). For language

Table 11. Descriptive statistics for the Knowledge statements for public and private school
respondents
Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement Statement
1b 2c 3d 4e 5f 6g 7h
Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private Public Private

Median 6.00 6.00 4.00 6.00 5.00 5.50 5.00 5.50 5.00 6.00 5.00 6.00 5.00 5.00

Mode 6.00 6.00

4.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00
6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00
6.00

Range 3.00 2.00 5.00 2.00 6.00 2.00 4.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 3.00 2.00

Total 250 280 206 176 231 170 228 168 232 177 230 176 237 169

Total
5.31 5.62 4.38 5.50 4.91 5.31 4.85 5.25 4.93 5.53 4.89 5.50 5.04 5.28
Average

n = 47 (Public school respondents)

n = 47 (Private school respondents)
a
Play promotes a healthy and strong body
b
Play reduces stress
c
Play gives children a place and time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a
worksheet.
d
Play enhances the social interaction skills of children
e
Play promotes the development of language and creativity
f
Play helps in the expression of thoughts and feelings
g
Play promotes the clarification of gender roles
Private School Respondents development, this stage is known as the
“chatterbox” period. Knowing how to speak
The statement “Play promotes a healthy and is important for establishing independence
strong body” (Statement 1) had the highest and communication with others. The child has
level of agreement with a total of 180 and a major improvements in terms of comprehension
mode of six (strongly agree). This may be due which makes them learn what others tell them
also to repeated statements from school and and it also serves as a guide in socializing
Volume 5 Number 1 15
with others. Further, they also have high
improvements in speaking skills like mastery
of pronunciation and vocabulary growth which
enables them to construct sentences and learn
different meanings of words (Strickland and
Ayers, 2006).
Differences between the Levels of Importance
Given to Play of Public and Private School
Respondents
Generally, private school respondents had
a higher level of importance given to play
in all the factors that form one’s perception
(opinion, experience, expectation, attitude and
knowledge). The percentage difference ranged
from 2-8% (Table 12). The biggest difference
(8.7%) was for the knowledge part.
They have more positive opinions of learning
through play, more positive experiences of
playing outdoors without supervision when
younger, more expectations of physical play
despite the risks, a more positive attitude
toward outdoor play with supervision, and
have greater knowledge of play’s benefits on a
child’s body. These results could be influenced
by their higher educational attainment, having
higher income or greater resources, or more
exposure to media sources about play, all
of which could influence their perceptions
of play and their child’s play (see Table 1 for
the differences in their sociodemographic
characteristics).

Table 12. Comparison between the overall levels of importance given to play by public and
private school respondents.
Public Private
Average % Average %
Opinion part 28.17 67.07 31.09 74.02
Experience part 27.40 65.24 28.78 68.52
Expectation part 25.68 60.43 26.13 62.21
Attitude part 26.45 62.98 27.31 65.02
Knowledge part 34.34 81.76 38.00 90.48
Level of 28.41 67.64 30.26 72.05
importance given
to play†
† Average of all parts (factors that contributes to the perception of a person)

16 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016

CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on their definition of play and its
importance to them, both the public and
private school parent-respondents had a
positive view of play and all agreed that play
is important for learning and development, for
health, and for fun and enjoyment. Reasons
for how they defined play depended on their
personal perception on play and one factor that
may have contributed to their thinking is their
observations of how play has influenced their
child’s development, positively or negatively.
In terms of the level of importance given to
play, overall, private school respondents had
a higher average compared to public school
respondents. Private school respondents
had an average of 72.05% in the level of
importance given to play while for the latter, it
was 67.64%. For the factors which contribute
to the perception of a person (i.e. opinion,
experiences, expectations, attitudes and
knowledge), private school respondents
showed a higher level of importance given to
play in all these.
For further study, it is recommended to have
more respondents from different areas of
the country to have adequate representation
for the Philippine setting and to get diverse
answers on parental perceptions of play.
Other environments may be considered
such as respondents from rural and urban
areas, respondents who have children with
and without disabilities, and respondents
with a child who has high or low academic
performance in school. Aside from the survey,
in-depth interviews could be used to gather
information to supplement the data from a
questionnaire.
For parents, it is recommended that they allow
their child to play to get the free benefits it
gives to children. Given that the Philippines
ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child in 1990, Filipino parents should let
their children play because it is their right as
developing humans. It is an activity that cannot
be denied. For greater benefits, this play should
be a balance between indoor and outdoor
play with the appropriate degree of adult
supervision and engagement.
For schools, especially those with a
Kindergarten level, seminar-workshops
regarding the importance of play to children is
recommended to both parents and teachers
for a greater understanding of the role of
play in early childhood. The Kindergarten
Education Act (RA 10157) of 2012 advocates
a learner-oriented and responsive approach,
however, the word “play” is not even used
in the document (Official Gazette, 2012). An
appropriate number of school hours allotted to
play per day is also recommended since some
children may not be experiencing it or are being
prohibited because of the pressure to finish
daily school activities. Also, to reiterate, play is
a child’s right. Schools should recognize this
right.
For teacher training institutions, it is
recommended to provide trainings or organize
conferences on play and its benefits for
children at the Kindergarten and even early
grades levels. Findings on play have to be
disseminated widely for the sake of children
and their development.
For local government officials and policy
makers, safer environments and outdoor
playing areas or parks should be part of the
community since some parents do not allow
their child to play because of the risks and
dangers the children may face. Such areas may
augment the play experiences that children get
from their homes or backyards. This will help in
their greater exposure to social environments
and activities at the community level. Let it
be emphasized again, it is the government’s
responsibility to make known and respect
children’s rights, including the right to play and
engage in recreational activities.
Lastly, the media is a powerful influencer. It has
been 27 years since the Philippines ratified the
Volume 5 Number 1 17

UNCRC and there should be continuous efforts
to make this international agreement known
to all families. Again, play is a child’s right. All
adults in the society should ensure that this
right is known and respected so that all Filipino
children could enjoy this right.
18 J O U R N A L O F H U M A N E C O L O G Y : : January - December 2016
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