This article presents analyses from an ethnographic study of a rural preschool and the pretend play occurring there. While many studies in childhood have sought to understand children’s play from the perspective of the child player, these analyses focus on understanding adult constructions through the children’s play. By focusing on children’s pretend play and adult reactions to it, this article seeks to explore children’s play as a lens for understanding the tensions between social constructions of “good” adults and “proper” children.
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