Sunday, January 8, 2012

Childhood Memories

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES: A HISTORY OF CHILDREN’S PLAY AROUND THE WORLD

For several years we have been collecting stories from people around the world about their play experiences as children. Our goal is to compile a broad data base of information about children’s play that will be useful to people in many fields. A major intent of our project is to determine how the play of children has developed over time. Plans are to make the results of the study available in printed form and on the internet. Essentially, it is an ambitious effort to chronicle the play of youth over many generations and in different cultures.

We invite you and other members of your family to participate in our project. In addition to contributing to our study we believe that there are significant personal benefits to people who participate. In addition to sending us their stories, we encourage respondents to make a copy of their completed form as part of a family history record. Results of the study will be made available to interested parties.

If you choose to help us in this task, please consider the following points when completing the questionnaire and in helping others to also contribute:

1. The context for stories is very important. That is why we are asking for demographic data and personal information.

2. Some people are not comfortable writing about their experiences. We invite such persons to contact us at the addresses given below for interviews.

3. Other persons, perhaps particularly the elderly or those whose first language is not English, may require assistance in completing a questionnaire. We ask members of their families and friends to assist them in this process by serving as scribes for what they would like to convey.

4. The most important part of our study is the actual accounts and stories of play that people recall about their early years. Accordingly, we invite people to provide full and detailed accounts of what transpired in their childhood play.

Please think back to your childhood and tell us about your playtime experiences and the feelings you had about them as a youngster. Answer questions as candidly and as fully as possible. Most people who have participated in the study to date have found thinking about and recording their memories to be a very pleasant experience; we trust you will as well.

A unique feature of this project is that we are asking participants to help us in extending our network of contacts in order to gather information. We are particularly interested in gathering childhood reflections from people in the same family. A number of people who have done this already have found the experience of sharing their recollections of early childhood to be very rewarding. Accordingly, we hope that you will not only complete a questionnaire yourself, but that you will also consider asking family members and friends to take part in our study as a piece of their family history

PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES TO: Dr. Gary Pennington

Canada: Alternate:

RR23 2828 Sunshine Coast Hwy Faculty of Education

Roberts Creek, BC, Canada, V0N 2W3 University of British Columbia

T: 604-803-9164 E: gazpen@gmail.com Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4

Participant Information

NAME…………………………………………………………………………….....

RESIDENCE………………………………………………………………………...

CITY/TOWN…………………………………...STATE/PROVINCE……………..

COUNTRY……………………………………..POSTAL CODE………………….

T…………………F……………….E……………………………………………….

GENDER: Male ( ) Female ( ) YEAR OF BIRTH………………………

IF THERE ARE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WHO MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR PROJECT, PLEASE INDICATE THEIR NAME(S) AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO YOU:

IN WHAT COUNTRIES AND STATES OR PROVINCES DID YOU MAINLY LIVE AS A CHILD?

IN WHAT COUNTRIES WERE YOUR PARENTS BROUGHT UP?

Mother: Father:

DO YOU BELONG TO, OR IDENTIFY WITH, ANY PARTICULAR CULTURAL OR ETHNIC GROUPS? IF SO, WHICH ONE(S)?

AS A CHILD WHERE DID YOU LIVE FOR THE MOST PART?

City ( ) Suburbs ( ) Country ( )

WHAT WAS THE GEOGRAPHIC REGION WHERE YOU WERE RAISED?

Coastal ( ) Foothills ( ) Mountains ( ) Tundra ( ) Plains ( ) Other ( )………..

IN WHAT CLIMATIC ZONE WERE YOU BROUGHT UP?

Temperate ( ) Tropical ( ) Sub-tropical ( ) Desert ( ) Mediterranean ( ) Polar ( )

WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, WHAT WAS THE ECONOMIC LEVEL OF YOUR FAMILY? Lower ( ) Middle ( ) Upper ( )

HOW MANY BROTHERS DID YOU HAVE? …….. SISTERS? ............

ARE YOU ? An only child ( ) Youngest Child ( ) Middle Child ( ) Oldest ( )

WERE YOU RAISED IN A SINGLE PARENT OR DOUBLE PARENT FAMILY? Single ( ) Double ( ) IF YOU WERE BROUGHT UP MAINLY IN A SINGLE PARENT FAMILY, WHO DID YOU LIVE WITH? Mom ( ) Dad ( )

WAS THERE A RADIO AT HOME WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD? Yes ( ) No ( )

IF YES, HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DID YOU LISTEN TO IT? …………………..

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS? ..................................................................

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………….………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

DID YOU HAVE A TV AT HOME WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? Yes ( ) No ( )

IF YES, HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DID YOU WATCH? ………………

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS? …………………………………………. ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

DID YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES AS A CHILD? Yes ( ) No ( )

IF SO, HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK? ………..

DID YOU HAVE A COMPUTER AT YOUR HOME WHEN YOUNG? Yes ( ) No ( )

IF YES, DID YOU USE IT, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GIVE A PERSONAL INTERVIEW ABOUT YOUR PLAYTIME EXPERIENCES AT A YOUNGSTER? Yes ( ) No ( )

DO YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOUR CHILDHOOD OR OTHER ARTIFACTS THAT MIGHT BE OF HELP TO OUR PROJECT? Yes ( ) No ( )

WOULD YOU LIKE A SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF OUR STUDY? Yes ( ) No ( )

*WHEN COMPLETING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS PLEASE DO NOT BE LIMITED BY THE SPACE PROVIDED. ATTACH EXTRA PAGES WHERE NECESSARY. THE MORE DETAIL YOU CAN PROVIDE, THE BETTER.

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Questions About Your Play as a Child

1. CLUBS/GROUPS/LANGUAGE. Did you and your friends form any special clubs or groups as children? If so, what were they? Were their any rituals or special rules involved? Did you have any special language or passwords? Please elaborate.

2. CHANTS/RHYMES/SINGING GAMES. As a child, were there things you and your friends used to sing, chant or say that were fun? If yes, what were they? Can you explain why they were so enjoyable?

3. COLLECTIONS/GIFTS. What things, if any, did you collect as a child? How did you usually get them? What was the best gift you received as a youngster?

4. PLAYTHINGS/PETS. When you were young, what playthings did you like best?

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5. PLAY SPACES. Where did you like to play as a child? What were your favorite places or what was your most special play space? Why?

6. NATURE. Did you make any playthings (toys, musical instruments, etc.) out of things

that you found in nature? Were there other things in nature that you particularly enjoyed?

7. ADVENTURE/RISKS. What “great adventures”, if any, did you have when playing as a child – things that gave you a thrill and which you recall vividly?

7. FAVORITE PASSTIME. What did you most like to do or play as a child? Things that you did in your free time, either alone or with friends, that were special? Why were they so important?

7. GAMES. Were there formal or informal games that you played a lot? What were they?

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7. PRETENDING/FANTASY/DAYDREAMS. A common expression among children is, “Let’s pretend we are …”. Did you and your friends do this? If so, what were some of the things you pretended to be? Do you remember what you used to daydream or fantasize about? What did you think about when you were alone in your room, your hideaway, your cubby or other special place? And, just what was your special place?

7. FUN/HAPPINESS. What was the thing that made you the happiest as a child? What, to you, was the most fun?

7. ADULTS. Did adults have any significant part in your playworld? If so, who were they and how did they help or hinder your play?

7. STORIES. What else can you tell about your childhood in terms of play? Anecdotes? Issues? Ironies? Special friendships? Earliest rememberances? -anything at all that may help in understanding the child’s world of play in your generation.

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7. QUESTIONS. Please let us know of any additional questions that you feel need to be asked to help understand better about children’s play and childhood, and answer your new questions, if you will.

7. FAMILY/FRIENDS. Are there other members of your family and/or friends whom we should contact concerning participation in this project? If so, please give us names and contact information, or make a copy of this form and pass it on to them.

WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO COLLECT STORIES OF CHILDHOOD BEFORE THEY ARE LOST TO POSTERITY. PLEASE HELP US WITH THIS TASK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROJECT.

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CHILDHOOD RECOLLECTIONS

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, PARTICULARLY YOUR PLAYTIME EXPERIENCES? The following words and phrases are intended to serve as “triggers” to help you remember the things that were important to you in your childhood play.

First dream

First joke

Best laughs

Favorite toys

Favorite gifts

Mishaps

Likes

Dislikes

Favorite outings and visits

Favorite visitors

Vacation times

Best birthday

Best Christmas

Favorite holidays

Parental help with play

Parental hinderance of play

Playing with parent(s)

Playing with grandparent(s)

Play with brothers

Play with sisters

Playing with other relatives

Playing alone

Memorable times

Water play

Sand or mud play

Make-believe play

Dress-up times

Very best times

Worst times

Hideaways, cubbies, tree houses

Climbing trees

Tricks, puzzles, magic

First games

First team

Back yard

School yard

Playground

First friends

Play leaders

First drawings

First writings

Sandbox

Best friends, playmates

Most fun

Braveries

Radio, television likes

Favorite treats

Biggest surprise

Pet hates, dislikes

Nicknames

Biggest thrills

Things you built, made

Favorite books

Comic books

Stories, fairly tales, legends

Special secrets

Animals, pets

Collections

Best finds

Good luck charms, lucky pieces

Gary Pennington

Associate Professor Emeritus

University of British Columbia

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