When the proposal for The International Journal of Play was approved by Taylor & Francis in 2011, three co-editors were charged with transforming the proposal into reality. The three playful soles charged with the task were Pat Broadhead, June Factor, and me. I recall with fondness the rich discussions and brainstorming sessions that followed concerning the aims and scope of the new journal. We sought to produce a journal that reflected, challenged, and advocated an understanding of play across the alphabet of scholarly disciplines and provided an international forum for scholarly debate on play policy, practice, and theory across the lifespan. To achieve these ambitious goals, we encouraged a wide variety of contributions often missing from scholarly journals including essays, memoirs, reflective writing, and writing that builds on the experiences and voices of children and young people.
Since the first publication of The International Journal of Play in 2012, each issue features book reviews of current works exploring various aspects of the study of play. Also included is a ‘What is the State of Play?’ essay that provides a forum for authors to reflect upon current perspectives and future possibilities. An additional feature titled ‘Books Worth (Re)reading’ brings classic and overlooked treasures to the attention of our readers. Finally, we feature ‘Memories and Reflections on Play’ essays that depict how play experiences can impact one’s life and life’s work. We believe that these autobiographical perspectives on play enrich our scholarly journal.
Due to an enthusiastic response to our call for ‘Playful Memories and Reflection on Play’ contributions over the past few years, we decided to showcase 52 of these essays in Volume 12, Issue 4. We hope you enjoy these reflective pieces and are inspired to submit your own personal reflections on play for inclusion in a future issue of The International Journal of Play.