“Vehicle Play” by Preschoolers during Free Play

Formation and Changes of Peer Culture

Abstract

Children’s peer culture is a stable set of activities or routines, artifacts, values, and concerns that children produce and share in interaction with peers. We observed a preschool class for two years using a peer-culture focused perspective. One particular type of play, “vehicle play”, in which children constructed vehicles using large selflocking building bricks and drove these vehicles, emerged, disappeared, reemerged, and diffused in the class. After reaching a peak that lasted two months, the frequency of “vehicle play” decreased and finally disappeared. This type of play first spread among boys, and then among girls. Perceived attributes of “vehicle play” (i.e., observability, compatibility and trialability), context of preschool lives (i.e., peer relationships, physical and sociocultural environments and play situations in free play time), and teacher’s actions directed at children had an effect on formation and change of “vehicle play”. Individual differences were suggested in participation, in meaning, and in contributions to the formation and change of “vehicle play”. This play resulted in important consequences to individuals and to the preschool class.