Family Play Practices in Early Childhood: An Analysis of Children’s and Parents’ Preferences

Background. Most research on play focuses on peer interactions or educational contexts, whereas the phenomenon of parent‑child co‑play remains understudied. It is this co‑play that is a key factor in emotional well‑being, providing emotional connectedness and establishing a foundation for parent‑child communication. The adult, by organising the play environment, acts as a cultural mediator: in the process of interaction, values, beliefs, and behavioural models that influence the child’s personality development are transmitted. Objective. To identify types of family gaming practices that differ in the degree of congruence between the preferences of parents and preschool‑aged children. Study Participants. 42 864 parents (96.9% women) of children aged 2–7 years (M = 4.68). Methods. Congruence of gaming preferences was analysed based on parents’ responses to two survey questions. Firstly, about the child’s gaming preferences and secondly, about their own preferences for co‑play. Additionally, questions about parenting style, leisure activities, and attitudes toward play were used. Latent family profiles were identified based on 12 binary indicators of congruence; the χ² test was used to compare clusters (using SPSS 27). Results. Five clusters were identified. Cluster 1 (58.9%) is characterised by minimal overlap between parents’ and children’s game preferences, a tendency towards authoritarian parenting styles, and a preference for passive forms of leisure. Cluster 2 (“creative”, 5.7%) reflects a gender-specific pattern of socialisation for girls. Cluster 3 (“intellectual”, 22.4%) focuses on structured games such as puzzles and board games. Cluster 4 (4.2%) records the maximum coincidence of game preferences, democratic parenting style, and high parental involvement. Cluster 5 (“physically active”, 8.8%) reflects the gender-specific pattern of boys’ socialisation. Conclusions. The degree of interest congruence is associated with parenting style and leisure organisation. Polar models range from perceiving play as a child’s space to a field of partnership. Gender stereotypes influence the content of parent‑child interaction. The identified types allow for the identification of family practices to develop recommendations for expanding shared play experiences and enhancing psychological well‑being.