Family and Early Years Leisure

Call for Papers

Journal: Leisure Studies

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Manuscript Deadline: 04 January 2027

About the Special Issue

Leisure Studies invites submissions for a Special Issue on "Family and Early Years Leisure."

This Special Issue explores the purpose, meaning, and impact of leisure in the lives of young children and their families during the early years (birth to five years). It seeks to advance understanding of how leisure influences child development, family wellbeing, inclusion, creativity, and everyday family life while examining the social, cultural, economic, and policy factors that shape access to leisure opportunities.

The issue welcomes interdisciplinary contributions that investigate leisure practices across diverse global contexts and explore both the opportunities and inequalities influencing early childhood leisure experiences.

Topics of Interest

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

Family leisure practices and parental decision-making
Work–life balance and family leisure priorities
Intergenerational transmission of leisure behaviours
Leisure spaces and accessibility for young children
Parks, museums, libraries, play centres, and community spaces
Urban–rural differences and spatial inequalities
Leisure-based enrichment and child development
Family wellbeing, resilience, and social bonding
Structured versus child-led leisure experiences
Digital leisure and screen-based activities
Nature-based and sustainable leisure
Intersectional inequalities and inclusive leisure
Global and cross-cultural perspectives on family leisure
Participatory, creative, and ethnographic research methods

Submission Guidelines

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) should include:

A working title
Abstract (maximum 200 words)
Author names, affiliations, and corresponding author's email

Selected authors will be invited to submit full manuscripts.

Full papers should:

Be no more than 8,000 words (including references, tables, and figures)
Follow the journal's submission and formatting guidelines

Important Dates

Expression of Interest Deadline: 17 July 2026
Notification of Outcome: 13 August 2026
Full Manuscript Submission: 04 January 2027
Expected Publication: Early 2028

Special Issue Editors

Georgia Allen-Baker, Northumbria University, UK

Philippa Velija, University of Roehampton, UK

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Family and Early Years Leisure

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