Strong museum scholars find their work in play

Stuart Low • Staff writer • July 24, 2008 The serious work of analyzing play is the focus of a new journal launched by the Strong National Museum of Play. The quarterly American Journal of Play debuted this month with five articles on children's psychology, education and sociology. Scholarly in tone and appealing to professionals dealing with children, it's the first interdisciplinary journal devoted to play, Strong officials say. "It resists easy definition and engages many disciplines," cautions editor Jon-Paul Dyson, Strong's vice president for exhibit research and development. "Psychologists of play have different concerns than historians of play." Among the fields covered will be child development, neuroscience, play therapy and popular culture, he says. The articles in the 137-page inaugural issue suggest its wide range... [read full story]