Play’s the Thing: How do Occupational Therapy Programs Teach about the Occupation of Play?

Engaging in play constitutes a fundamental theoretical concept and skill set emphasized in occupational therapy (OT) education. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), play is a key occupation and a core context for development and learning. However, there is a paucity of evidence about if and how entry-level OT programs are effectively teaching students about play as a central occupation, and the demands of OT education can make it difficult for OT students to observe children in real life play during their didactic coursework, particularly in unstructured play environments. This pilot descriptive study surveyed 59 pediatric faculty, program directors, and chairs from United States-based entry-level OT programs to explore how and when OT programs teach about childhood play as a central occupation, including play assessments taught, what active approaches are used, and in what settings OT students observe children at play. Findings reveal that OT programs recognize the value of play both as an essential occupation and as a tool for understanding various performance skills crucial to child development. The curricula incorporated a blend of lectures, active learning strategies, and real-world observations of children during both didactic coursework and fieldwork placements. These approaches allowed students to explore the nature of play, learn how to assess and evaluate it both formally and informally, and develop play-based interventions. Further research with a larger sample of United States-based programs and practicing OT professionals is needed to better understand how play is assessed and utilized as an occupation in clinical practice.