Adaptive behavior consists of conceptual, social, and practical skills learned by the individual throughout development and performed in response to social or community demands and expectations. Higher adaptation skills make the individual more independent and represent a protective factor for his mental development. Therefore, in addition to early assessment of adaptive behavior, it is crucial to encourage the development of adaptive skills. Research shows a positive association between some of the parent-child spare time activities and child’s development. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a positive association between the six leisure activities, that have been positively associated with child development, and children’s adaptive behavior in early childhood. The study included 77 children aged 4; 0 to 5; 3 years who attend Slovenian public kindergartens. For the research, I compiled a Questionnaire on parent-child leisure time activities, which, in addition to the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, third edition (ABAS-3), was completed by one of the child's parents. The results showed that there is an important positive correlation between the involvement of parents in spare time activities with their children, the adaptive behavior of children, and the three main domains of adaptive behavior. The association between parental education and the frequency of parent-child leisure time activities was insignificant. Likewise, the results did not show a significant difference in the involvement of parents in spared time activities with girls or boys. Lastly, there was a significant difference between the children living in a rural or urban environment, given the involvement of parents in leisure activities with their children.
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