Abstract: While memory studies and play scholarship are well-established fields, little research has explored how adult memories of play shape children's play environments. This qualitative study uses grounded theory to investigate that intersection through interviews with 14 caregivers in a western Canadian city. Findings reveal that adult memories inform how caregivers design and engage with play spaces. Memory is a dynamic force, sometimes motivating play and other times restricting it, entangled with personal histories, cultural discourses, and material environments. These insights highlight memory's critical role in shaping contemporary play environments and suggest new directions for play design and education.
Whitney Blaisdell (2025) studied this question.