Pilot Study of a Play-based Intervention Enrichment Program Using Board Games, for Mothers and Children from a Culturally Challenged Immigrant Group

Play is a central occupation of children, contributing to their development. Play opportunities depend on physical, social, and cultural environments. Family-focused programs need to be developed and adapted to diverse populations. This study endeavored to evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term intervention enrichment program for a group of mothers and children from a cultural immigrant group in Israel, which focused on playing board games together. Twelve mothers and 12 children participated in a play-based program. A demographic questionnaire and a set of adapted PAPI questionnaires were used to examine mothers’ levels of knowledge and self-efficacy relating to playing board games, as well as children’s participation before and after intervention. Qualitative information was also collected, as well as mothers’ satisfaction levels. A significant improvement (p <.006; ɳ ² >.14) was found in some items relating to mothers’ knowledge, awareness, and self-efficacy resulting from play, and relating to children’s participation in play. Three months post intervention, a nonsignificant decrease was found in comparison to immediate post-intervention scores. The mothers reported a high level of satisfaction with the program. Short-term programs focusing on board game-playing among mothers and children from a cultural immigrant group may have the potential to strengthen parental knowledge, awareness, and self-efficacy relating to playing board games, and may improve their children’s participation in leisure play. Possible change mechanisms include occupational-based intervention, a family-centered approach, and environmental and cultural adaptations. The results suggest the need for developing culturally sensitive programs for diverse cultural groups. Future studies are needed among diverse populations, using additional assessments and control groups.