Being Participatory Through Play

It has long been acknowledged that play is the language of childhood. Thus, to give children voice, it is appropriate and logical to develop and use research methods based on play and creative expression for encouraging children’s participation in research. Because children, especially young ones, often don’t yet have the vocabulary to say what they are thinking or feel, nonverbal means of communication are ideal. Further, children may have the vocabulary, but sometimes things may be to too difficult, painful, or scary to put into words. Although rarely used alone, such methods are most commonly used in support of more traditional research methods such as interviews to increase data in both quantity and depth. This chapter presents a variety of research methods that incorporate play and other expressive activities. Illuminative drawing and scored drawing methods are discussed, along with other visual arts methods. The use of toy props and a variety of games is explored. Three commonly used interview techniques using puppets are described, along with considerations for choosing puppets or making them. Some of the ways researchers are using storytelling, creative writing, and the performing arts are explained. The chapter concludes with advantages and challenges of using play and other expressive methods, key advice, and some useful resources.