Toddlers’ Executive Development and Pretend Play (TEDDY) is an ongoing PhD project at the UCD Babylab. It aims to study how play can contribute to the development of executive functions in toddlerhood using previous literature and two original, empirical studies with toddlers and their parents.
What does TEDDY stand for?
TEDDY stands for Toddlers’ Executive Development and Pretend Play but was also chosen as a name for this project for thematic reasons. For many children, their first toy is some form of plush toys, like a teddy bear, which soon takes on an important role in a child’s early life and in a way is their first pretend play partner. Children give voices to their teddy bears, imagine their thoughts or their feelings and are a way for children to explore new social roles, such as a caring and nurturing parent or friend to their teddy bear. As such, TEDDY both stands for the title and the thematic focus of this project.
How can I get involved?
The TEDDY project is currently still in its early planning stages and there are many opportunities to get involved! If you are interested in finding out more, browse through our pages on the UCD Babylab website and reach out to Tobias via the contact form below any time!
If you are a parent or family, we are interested to hear how you value and incorporate play in your daily life with your children. What kind of play activities is your family interested in? How often do you get to play with your children? What are popular themes in your children’s play? Reach out to us via the contact form at any time! We will be hosting a knowledge exchange day in the spring of 2025 and would love to have you there. We will also be inviting parents and toddlers (18 to 28 months) for our lab-based study in the UCD Babylab starting in the spring of 2025. Let us know via the contact form below if you are interested!
If you are a parent of a toddler or are working in an early childhood organization, creche or preschool and are interested in the topics of children’s play and cognitive development we want to hear your insights or ideas for our study design. We are also seeking research sites for our data collection periods and are specifically interested in spaces around North Dublin. Reach out to us via the contact form if you would like to get involved.
Who is leading this study?
TEDDY is a project led by Tobias Constien, who is a PhD student at the School of Psychology at the University College Dublin (UCD). He is a trained dramatherapist and is interested in the topic of children’s imagination and how it relates to their development. He is supervised by Michelle Downes who is the principal investigator of the UCD Babylab, and Brendan Rooney.
Get in touch with the research team: