The American Journal of Play was established in 2008 by Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Two years later the museum was renamed The Strong, and the journal became one of five Play Partners within that broader museum concept. Other Play Partners within The Strong are the National Museum of Play, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, and the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play.
Dedicated to exploring the role of play in encouraging learning, creativity, discovery, and the ways play illuminates our cultural history, The Strong seeks to communicate the “critical role of play in human physical, social, and intellectual development.”1 The American Journal of Play furthers these goals by being a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary forum for discussing the culture, science, and history of play.2
Published quarterly by The Strong and also available free online, the American Journal of Play explores play issues and research through the perspectives of a variety of disciplines, such as child development, sociology, neuroscience, folklore, technology and play, education, and history.
Through interviews, articles, and book reviews, the American Journal of Play is written to present play research, to educate concerning the role of play in human development, to explore the relationship of play with other human activities, to explain the broad scope of public issues concerning play, and to understand cultural history through the focus of play. It is written in a “straightforward style” for educators, therapists including play therapists, historians, policy makers, toy and game designers, museum professionals, and others who consider play for a variety of reasons and from various perspectives.
