Fathers and Young Children at Play: A Scoping Review of Studies of Fathers’ Play with Sons and Daughters from Birth to Preschool

Fathers play many roles in the lives of their young children, including provider, caregiver, teacher, and playmate. The effects of father figures’ play and playful interactions with young children are thought to affect child development in unique ways. We use a systematic literature review of observational studies to describe variation in the qualities of father-child play and playful interactions between the prenatal period and child age 5 years. We contrast these qualities to mothers’ play and playful interactions and examine differences between fathers’ interactions with sons and daughters. Finally, we describe the quality and quantity of current evidence and discuss gaps in the literature.