choolbags together with the accompanying information and written instructions. After the 4 days of data collection, parents return the Palm Pilot to their child's school. Data from the Palm Pilots are downloaded onto PCs using the ESP desktop software and stored as .txt files.
Digital hard drive video cameras (Sony DCR-SR65, http://www.sony.com.au) are used together with Bluetooth wireless microphones (ECH-HW1, http://www.sony.com.au) to capture social interactions and what the children are doing during recess. Children are videotaped for 15 minutes during recess by an unobtrusive camera person who does not interact in any way with the children. No videotaping occurs during bad weather when the children are indoors during recess; researchers also avoid taping children during lunch or snack time. The videos are transferred to computers using the accompanying software and stored as .mpg files. After conversion to .mov files, the resulting data are coded using Studio Code (v 4.2.4, http://www.studiocode.com). The coding scheme is developed specifically for this study and captures categories of play and non-play, as well as quantification of social interactions.
Children and Teachers' Perceptions of Competence and Social Acceptance
The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PSPCSAYC) (Harter and Pike, 1984)  is included to assess two domains of competence (physical and academic) and two domains of acceptance (peer and maternal). Administration of the PSPCSAYC to children involves responding to four choices elicited by presenting paired pictorial items featuring children who are skilled or less skilled in a particular domain and asking who the child is most like. Further probing occurs to see if they see themselves as a lot like the child or just a little. The questions are devised to guard against generation of socially desirable responses.
The teacher rating scale involves a description of specific skills in each domain, with the exception of maternal acceptance. Teachers respond using a 4-point scale. The PSPCSAYC is widely used. For example, the original article describing the scale has 374 citations in Scopus (21 July, 2011).
Social Skills Improvement System - social skills
The Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales (SSIS-RS)  are a revision of the widely used Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) . For children below 8 years of age, parent and teacher reports of behaviours, using a 4-point scale, are used to assess Social Skills (i.e., communication, cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, engagement, and self-control); and Problem Behaviours (i.e., externalizing, bullying, hyperactivity/inattention, internalizing, and autism spectrum).Teacher reports also includes an Academic Competence subscale. The SSIS-RS has been specifically designed for pre- and post-intervention assessment. Significant re-norming was conducted in the revision from the SSRS . Protocols described in the SSIS-RS manual, such as ensuring the rater has known the child for at least 2 months, are followed. Parents of the children are provided with feedback on their child's score and in cases of extreme scores, are offered follow-up with the psychologist on this project. The completion time is 10 to 25 minutes per form. Compensation of teachers' time is offered by paying the schools for relief teaching staff. Scores are entered manually into the SSIS Assist software http://www.pearsonpsychcorp.com.au.
Height and weight are measured using standard procedures. Height is measured to the nearest 0.1 cm using a portable stadiometer. Weight is measured to the nearest 0.1 kg using digital scales; children will wear school uniform (shoes removed).
Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale (TRiPS)
We are developing and testing the validity and reliability of data gathered with an instrument to examine adults' tolerances of risk during children's play. The scale is based on a Norwegian model of risky play . We will collect data from 100 parents and teachers of children aged 3 to 13 years.
Qualitative data in the form