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Behavioral Sciences
Volume 15
Issue 12
10.3390/bs15121716
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Fostering Playfulness in 2-to-6-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study of Parental Play Support Profiles and Their Effects on Children’s Playfulness

by
Isabelle Duss
1,2,*,
Cornelia Rüdisüli
3,4,
Corina Wustmann Seiler
4,† and
Patricia Lannen
2,†
1
Institute of Education, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
2
Marie Meierhofer Children’s Institute (MMI), Associated Institute of the University of Zurich, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland
3
Schaffhausen University of Teacher Education (PH Schaffhausen), 8200 Schaffhausen, Switzerland
4
Department of Research and Development, Zurich University of Teacher Education (PH Zurich), 8090 Zurich, Switzerland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1716; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121716
Submission received: 13 October 2025 / Revised: 1 December 2025 / Accepted: 5 December 2025 / Published: 11 December 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Parental play support is crucial to children’s playfulness. Using a person-centered approach, we identified profiles of parental play support based on self-assessed roles. In total, 447 mothers and fathers reported their roles—co-player, playleader, director, uninvolved, or onlooker—during their child’s play. These roles were assessed at two time points, spaced two years apart. Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles: (1) engaged play support, (2) versatile play support, and (3) non-interfering play support. Parental affiliation to one of the three profiles was very stable over time, with only 14% of parents transitioning between profiles. Our longitudinal analysis indicated that the engaged play support profile, in which parents are closely involved in their child’s play either by playing with the child or observing children’s play, was significantly related to children’s playfulness two years later. Notably, 28.4% of parents fell into this profile. These findings underscore the importance of active parental engagement in fostering children’s playfulness.
Keywords: parental play support; children’s playfulness; latent profile analysis; latent profile transition analysis; longitudinal study parental play support; children’s playfulness; latent profile analysis; latent profile transition analysis; longitudinal study

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MDPI and ACS Style

Duss, I.; Rüdisüli, C.; Wustmann Seiler, C.; Lannen, P. Fostering Playfulness in 2-to-6-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study of Parental Play Support Profiles and Their Effects on Children’s Playfulness. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1716. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121716

AMA Style

Duss I, Rüdisüli C, Wustmann Seiler C, Lannen P. Fostering Playfulness in 2-to-6-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study of Parental Play Support Profiles and Their Effects on Children’s Playfulness. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(12):1716. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121716

Chicago/Turabian Style

Duss, Isabelle, Cornelia Rüdisüli, Corina Wustmann Seiler, and Patricia Lannen. 2025. "Fostering Playfulness in 2-to-6-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study of Parental Play Support Profiles and Their Effects on Children’s Playfulness" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 12: 1716. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121716

APA Style

Duss, I., Rüdisüli, C., Wustmann Seiler, C., & Lannen, P. (2025). Fostering Playfulness in 2-to-6-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study of Parental Play Support Profiles and Their Effects on Children’s Playfulness. Behavioral Sciences, 15(12), 1716. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121716

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