Playing Program for Child Development and Parenting

Overseen By Lola Halperin, EdD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Yeshiva University

Disqualifiers: Sensory deficit, Psychiatric disorders, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

10 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how an online program can help parents support their child's playfulness and overall psychological well-being. The program, "Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity," includes online group sessions for parents and guided play sessions with their child, assisted by an occupational therapist or student. It aims to determine if these activities improve children's play and psychological adjustment, while also assessing parent satisfaction with the program. Parents with children aged 3 to 5, enrolled in Head Start within the greater New York area, and with a stable internet connection, might find this trial suitable. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity for parents to explore innovative ways to enhance their child's development and well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this intervention program is safe for child development and parenting?

Previous studies have shown that telehealth programs like "Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity" have been well-received by participants. These programs aim to boost playfulness in a supportive setting. Research has shown no major negative effects when similar programs were used by teachers to manage stress and improve classroom interactions.

This trial includes online sessions for parents and guided play with their children, which is non-invasive and generally safe. Since this method is commonly used to enhance parent-child interactions, it is expected to be safe for participants. This program does not involve any medication or physical procedures, further reducing the risk of side effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how structured play sessions can support child development and improve parenting skills. Unlike traditional approaches that may focus solely on behavioral therapy or educational interventions, this method involves interactive online sessions that engage both parents and children in guided play. This approach uniquely combines education, hands-on play, and parental involvement, potentially fostering developmental benefits in a more holistic and engaging way. Plus, offering sessions in both English and Spanish broadens accessibility, catering to diverse families.

What evidence suggests that this program is effective for child development and parenting?

Research has shown that play is crucial for children's growth, influencing their thinking, physical health, social skills, and emotions. Studies have found that online programs focused on play can improve parent-child interactions during playtime. This trial tests the program "Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity" in two separate arms: the "Promoting Health Through Play English version" and the "Promoting Health Through Play Spanish version." Both versions use guided play sessions to help children become more resilient and manage stress better. Early results suggest these programs can enhance a child's playfulness and mental well-being. Many parents report satisfaction with their participation, noting improvements in supporting their child's playfulness. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for parents and their children. It's designed to help improve parenting skills and child development through a program that includes online group sessions for parents, as well as play sessions involving the parent, child, and an occupational therapy professional.

Inclusion Criteria

Enrolled in Head Start pre-school program within New York greater area

For the Spanish speaking group, parent must be fluent in the Spanish language

Parent-child dyads

Exclusion Criteria

Parents with psychiatric or behavioral disorders that affect their ability to participate in a group-based intervention

I have a hearing or vision problem that makes it hard for me to join online programs.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Parents participate in five 45-minute online group sessions and one 30-minute online guided play session with their child and an occupational therapist or student

6 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for improvements in parent and child outcomes through assessments and interviews

6 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity

Trial Overview

The 'Promoting Health Through Play' program is being tested to see if it can enhance parent support of their child's playfulness, boost the child's playful behavior, improve psychological adjustment in kids, and increase parental satisfaction with their involvement.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Promoting Health Through Play Spanish version Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Parent online group sessions- Spanish version consisting of five 45-minute-long parent group online sessions. In addition, each parent-child dyad will receive, one 30-minute-long online guided play session with OTS/OT.

Group II: Promoting Health Through Play English version Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Parent online group sessions- English version consisting of five 45-minute-long parent group online sessions. In addition, each parent-child dyad will receive, one 30-minute-long online guided play session with OTS/OT.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Yeshiva University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

13

Recruited

2,600+

Head Start

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

10+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The 'Play Nicely Program: The Healthy Discipline Handbook' was successfully translated and culturally adapted for use in Brazil, involving a comprehensive process with four translators and seven expert judges.

The program achieved high content validity, with 100% adequate assessments from experts and 89.5% from the target population, indicating it is suitable for parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals in Brazil.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validity study of the "Play Nicely Program: The Healthy Discipline Handbook" for use in Brazil. Begui, JR., Scholer, S., Polita, NB., et al.[2023]

In a study involving 53 pediatric patients aged 4-11, unstructured play significantly reduced urinary cortisol levels, a marker of stress, in children aged 7-11 during hospitalization for respiratory diseases.

The effectiveness of play as a coping strategy was less pronounced in younger children (4-7 years old), suggesting that age and cognitive engagement play a crucial role in how children utilize play to cope with stress.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of play activities on hospitalized children's stress: a randomized clinical trial. Potasz, C., De Varela, MJ., De Carvalho, LC., et al.[2015]

The Sit Down and Play (SDP) program, implemented in a primary care setting, showed significant improvements in parenting practices related to child development among 30 caregivers of infants aged 6-12 months over a 1-month period.

Caregivers reported high satisfaction with the program, highlighting the importance of play and noticing positive changes in their children, suggesting that SDP is a feasible intervention that could enhance parenting behaviors during pediatric visits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sit Down and Play: A Preventive Primary Care-Based Program To Enhance Parenting Practices. Shah, R., DeFrino, D., Kim, Y., et al.[2022]

The Play Nicely program effectively increased the comfort level of pediatric residents and medical students in counseling parents about positive parenting strategies, as evidenced by pre- and posttraining questionnaire results.

Participants also showed a significant increase in parenting knowledge and a decrease in positive attitudes toward spanking, indicating a shift towards more supportive parenting practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Changing Health Care Professionals' Attitudes Toward Spanking. Burkhart, K., Knox, M., Hunter, K.[2017]

This study highlights the importance of assessing 'playfulness' in children, which refers to their approach and attitude during play, rather than just focusing on motor skills, as traditionally done in occupational therapy.

By comparing four children who received targeted occupational therapy interventions to improve play behaviors with four who did not, the study provides valuable insights for therapists to design effective treatments aimed at enhancing playfulness in children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Impact of Occupational Therapy on a Child's Playfulness. O'Brien, J., Coker, P., Lynn, R., et al.[2022]

A randomized controlled trial involving 501 mothers of children aged 6-12 years is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a digital tool and in-person workshop designed to increase mothers' tolerance of risk in their children's play.

The primary outcome of the study is to measure changes in risk tolerance using the Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale, with secondary outcomes focusing on self-reported behavior change goals, aiming to shift parental perceptions and promote children's opportunities for risky play.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Go Play Outside! Effects of a risk-reframing tool on mothers' tolerance for, and parenting practices associated with, children's risky play: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Brussoni, M., Ishikawa, T., Han, C., et al.[2019]

Child life programs play a crucial role in pediatric care by addressing the emotional and psychological needs of hospitalized children, helping them cope with stress through therapeutic play and communication.

These programs not only promote optimal development and prepare children for medical procedures but also foster family involvement, which is essential for the child's overall well-being during hospitalization.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Child life services. [2014]

Therapeutic play, in the form of an interactive puppet show, significantly reduced anxiety and increased cooperation in preschool children before surgery, as evidenced by lower blood pressure and pulse rates during a stressful injection compared to a control group.

Children who participated in therapeutic play also showed quicker recovery indicators, such as faster bladder voiding after surgery and lower stress-related behavior scores after hospital discharge, highlighting its efficacy in managing stress during hospitalization.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Therapeutic play for hospitalized preschoolers in Lebanon. Zahr, LK.[2015]

Risky outdoor play is linked to positive health outcomes in children, including increased physical activity and improved social behaviors, despite concerns about safety and injury.

The systematic review of 21 studies suggests that promoting risky outdoor play is beneficial for healthy child development, highlighting the need for more high-quality research and encouraging policies that support such play opportunities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What is the Relationship between Risky Outdoor Play and Health in Children? A Systematic Review. Brussoni, M., Gibbons, R., Gray, C., et al.[2022]

A quality improvement initiative using the Practicing Safety toolkit significantly increased screening rates for child abuse and neglect risk factors, with assessments for maternal depression and child development rising from 0% to over 50% post-implementation.

Resource provision related to child development issues improved over time and was maintained for 1.5 years, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating standardized assessments into electronic health records in urban practices serving low-income children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Child Abuse and Neglect Risk Assessment: Quality Improvement in a Primary Care Setting. Chung, EK., Gubernick, RS., LaNoue, M., et al.[2020]

The Play Nicely program effectively reduced positive attitudes toward spanking among 33 caregivers of children aged 2 to 5 years, indicating its potential to promote positive parenting practices.

This brief intervention is particularly beneficial in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations and can be implemented in group settings, making it a practical tool for addressing childhood aggression and preventing adverse experiences related to spanking.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Decreasing Caregivers' Positive Attitudes Toward Spanking. Burkhart, K., Knox, M., Hunter, K., et al.[2019]

The therapeutic play/play therapy (TP/PT) program significantly reduced post-operative pain in children, as evidenced by decreasing pain scores measured with the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale.

Parents' anxiety levels also significantly decreased after the TP/PT program, indicating that the therapy not only helps children but also alleviates parental anxiety during the post-operative period.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reducing Children's Pain and Parents' Anxiety in the Postoperative Period: A Therapeutic Model in Turkish Sample. Yayan, EH., Zengin, M., Düken, ME., et al.[2021]

Play and playfulness are crucial for enhancing children's ability to cope with stress and adversity, helping them develop adaptive responses in a safe environment.

Spontaneous free play, guided by children's perspectives, fosters essential skills like adaptability, resilience, and emotional balance, which are foundational for lifelong social and emotional health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Seeking Balance in Motion: The Role of Spontaneous Free Play in Promoting Social and Emotional Health in Early Childhood Care and Education. Hewes, J.[2020]

Therapeutic play was effective in helping children aged 3 to 5 years who were recently hospitalized to behave in ways that are typical for their age group.

The children demonstrated signs of adaptation and increased ego strength, suggesting that therapeutic play can support emotional and psychological resilience in young hospitalized patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[The effect of the use of therapeutic play by the pediatric nurse on the behavior of recently hospitalized children]. Ribeiro, CA.[2019]

A play-based psychosocial intervention delivered by psychology trainees significantly reduced parental stress during their child's hospitalization, with only 5% of parents feeling stressed about their child's illness after the intervention.

The intervention was well-received, with 90-96% of parents feeling respected and understood, indicating that such programs can enhance child-parent interactions and improve the overall hospital experience.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development and feasibility testing of a play-based psychosocial intervention for reduced patient stress in a pediatric care setting: experiences from Pakistan. Rasheed, MA., Bharuchi, V., Mughis, W., et al.[2021]

Citations

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Playing Program for Child Development and Parenting

The Playing Playfully to Overcome Adversity treatment is unique because it uses play and playfulness to help children build resilience and cope with stress, ...

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When play and safe, stable, nurturing relationships are missing in a child's life, toxic stress can disrupt the development of executive ...