DM
Dominique McLean
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Class of 2018
  • Bloomfield, CT

Eastern Student Dominique McLean Participates in 2017 TIMPANI Toy Study

2017 Dec 13

Eastern Connecticut State University's Center for Early Childhood Education announced on Dec. 6 that "Animal Kingdom Mega Pack" by Animal Planet has been named the 2017 TIMPANI (Toys that Inspire Mindful Play and Nurture Imagination) Toy. Six Eastern students fulfilled integral roles for the nationally acclaimed study.

Among them was Dominique McLean '18 of Bloomfield, who majors in Early Childhood Education and Psychology. McLean was one of four student researchers on the study.

Now in its eighth year, the annual study investigates how young children learn as they play with a variety of toys in natural settings. Ten toys were selected this year for the study by teachers, faculty and student researchers. The toys were placed in preschool classrooms at the University's Child and Family Development Resource Center, and student researchers used hidden cameras to videotape children playing with the toys. Researchers then coded the footage according to the study's evaluation rubric, which includes four subscales: thinking and learning, cooperation and social interaction, creativity and imagination, and verbalization. For this year's study, researchers coded nearly 8,000 five-minute observations.

The Animal Kingdom Mega Pack received the highest overall score in this year's study. It also scored the highest in three of the four subscales: creativity and imagination, social interaction, and verbalization. It was the highest-scoring toy for both boys and girls. It also scored highly for children from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

"The animals were an open-ended toy that allowed the children to bring their prior knowledge into their play narratives," said McClean. "They collaborated with their peers to create habitats and sort the animals.

"The TIMPANI study conveys the message that play is an important part of children's development," said McLean. "Doing undergraduate research has been a rewarding experience for me. I'm currently studying to be a teacher, and by doing research for the TIMPANI study I have learned how play materials have an effect on the quality of children's development."

To view the press conference for the 2017 studty, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRHzF_sUnP4

Previous TIMPANI toys include Plus-Plus by Plus-Plus (2016), Wooden Cash Register by Hape (2015); Paint and Easel by Community Playthings and Hot Wheels Cars by Mattel (2014); Magna-Tiles by Valtech and My First Railway by Brio (2013); Duplo Blocks by LEGO (2012); Tinker Toys by Hasbro (2011); Wooden Vehicles and Signs by Melissa and Doug (2010).

TIMPANI results have been widely reported, including by sources such as International Business Times, All-Jazeera America and television news programs across the country. The instrument used in the study has been shared by request with researchers all over the world, including Turkey.