Originally published in 1989, Play, Exploration and Learning was a valuable contribution to the evaluation of nursery practice in Britain at the time, this ‘natural history’ of the activities of children and caring adults presents a comparative study of four types of provision for the under-fives: nursery schools, nursery classes, playgroups and day nurseries. All four types of provision are seen as happy, busy, caring environments, but they vary greatly in terms of staffing level...