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Playground games take on a modern twist

Traditional playground games are alive and thriving, while children are also incorporating popular cultural figures such as Beyonce and Simon Cowell into their play, a new study has found.

Researchers from the universities of London, East London and Sheffield spent two years watching children play and concluded that today's media is informing rather than destroying playground games.

The project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, aimed to develop understanding of children's playground games and songs.

Research at the Monteney Primary School in Sheffield and the Christopher Hatton Primary School in London found that media such as games consoles, pop music and television are enriching children's pretend play, with children adding topical touches to fantasy scenarios by incorporating their favourite characters, reality television stars, pop songs and dance moves into role-play.

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