112: How to Set up a Play Room

One of the things people email me wanting to know about most often is "what does the research say about how to set up a play room? What toys should I buy that will have the greatest benefit for my child's learning and development?" I'd actually been putting off doing this episode for a while, in part because the research base on this topic is thin on the ground - but also because the idea just made me kind of uncomfortable. I mean, we've survived for tens of thousands of years without play rooms - or even dedicated toys, never mind the incredibly beautiful and expensive ones that are available now! - what could I really say about this? Well, now's the time. Perhaps it shouldn't surprise you that this episode is coming in the middle of our series on the intersection of money and parenting. I hope it offers you some reassurance about how to set up your own play room - if you choose to and are able to. And even more reassurance if you choose not to or can't.   Other episodes on this series This episode is the second in a series on the intersection of parenting and money. You can find other episodes in this series: 038: The Opposite of Spoiled105: How to pass on mental wealth to your child107: The impact of consumerism on children115: Reducing the Impact of Advertising to Children118: Are You Raising Materialistic Kids?   Jump to highlights 00:03 Introduction and framing: the privilege embedded in even asking how to set up a playroom 01:39 How play and toys vary across cultures, from Ghana to the Kalahari to Mexico 06:25 A quick review of the researched benefits of play: executive function, language, social skills, and more 10:05 Dr. Doris Pierce's study on mothers as "stage managers" of children's play 16:47 Why subscription toy boxes rarely deliver on their promises 20:43 A 2012 study on which toys prompted the highest-quality play, and what it reveals about assumptions tied to socioeconomic status 25:16 Electronic toys: why they rarely deliver on educational promises, and the Baby Einstein refund case 29:03 How parents shape gender preferences through play, tone, and which toys get positive attention 35:10 Digging into Disney princess research and what stereotypical play is linked to later on 39:19 Why survival-based reasoning shows toy specifics matter far less than we think   References Arnold, J. E., Graesch, A. P., Ragazinni, E., & Ochs, E. (2012). Life at home in the twenty-first century. Los Angeles: UCLA. Boe, J.L., & Woods, R.J. (2018). Parents’ influence on infants’ gender-typed toy preferences. Sex Roles 79, 358-373. Choi, K.W.Y. (2016). On the fast track to a head start: A visual ethnographic study of parental consumption of children’s play and learning activities in Hong Kong. Childhood 23(1), 123-139. Coyne, S.M., Rasmussen, E.E., Linder, J.R., Nelson, D.A., & Birkbeck, V. (2016). Pretty as a princess: Longitudinal effects of engagement with Disney princesses on gender stereotypes, body esteem, and prosocial behavior in children. Dauch, C., Imwalle, M., Ocasio, B., & Metz, A.E. (2019). The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play. Infant Behavior and Development 50, 78-87. Fine, C., & Rush, E. (2018). “Why does all the girls have to buy pink stuff?” The ethics and science of the gendered toy marketing debate. 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Forman-Brunell (Eds.), Princess cultures: Mediating girls’ imaginations and identities (p.91-114). New York: Peter Lang. Yogman M, Garner A, Hutchinson J, et al; AAP COMMITTEE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH, AAP COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA. The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children. Pediatrics. 2018;142(3):e20182058