Play

PlayI tried to teach my child with words,They passed her by often unheard.

I tried to teach my child with flashcards,She looked as though I was marred.

I tried to teach my child with worksheets,She yawned and left them incomplete.

Despairingly, I turned aside;“How shall I teach this child?” I cried.

Into my hand she put the key,“Come,” she said, “Play with me.”

Play• Defining Play• Play’s Value• Characteristics of Play• Play’s Influential Contributors• Developmental Stages of Play• Supporting Play in the

Curriculum

Defining Play

• Read Quotes about Play

• Houghton Mifflin’s New College Edition Dictionary lists over 50 definitions of play.

• Take a few moments to write down your own definition of play.

Play’s Value• Young Children Need to Play Handout• Is critical to all aspects of a child's development. • Is often overlooked by parents as a valuable tool. • Is a preventive measure to discipline problems. • Offers a natural way for a child to learn. • Is essential in forming a positive relationship

between parent and child.

The Power of PlayWatch the video, the Power of Play, and be prepared to discuss the following statements:1. The Power of Play video identifies several valuable components of play. In your

opinion what is the most powerful attribute of play.2. The Power of Play video states that play “fuels a child’s mind.” Explain what

this statement means. 3. The Power of Play video states that play nurtures self-expression. Identify three

ways in which play nurtures self-expression.4. The Power of Play video strongly urges parents to get involved in play with

children. Identify one important way in which parents can get involved in play with children.

5. The Power of Play video states that play is a natural way to explore life. Explain what this means to you.

6. The Power of Play video states that toys are an extension of play and should not be the focus. Identify three things to consider when choosing toys to enrich play.

Play’s Value• Outlet for energy • Exploration • Rehearses real life situations • Works out strong feelings • Strengthens family bonds,

when parents and children play together

• Develops concentration and coordination

• If busy-less likely to get into trouble

• Teaches all kinds of skills • Teaches how to solve

problems • Teaches creativity • Teaches how to get along with

both children and adults • Teaches from experience • Develops confidence in one's

ability • Keeps children

Play’s Developmental Value• A child will develop muscles by playing.

– Physical Development• A child will learn how to share and to be a friend by playing.

– Social Development• A child will learn to understand feelings by playing.

– Emotional Development• A child may learn colors and sizes and shapes and many other

things by playing. – Cognitive Development (ACEI Speaks Handout)

• A child can work out his fears and fantasies through play.

Why Play is ImportantPlay inspires imagination

Imagination inspires creativityCreativity inspires explorationExploration inspires discovery

Discovery inspires solving problemsSolving problems inspires new skillsNew skills inspires self-confidence

Self-confidence inspires sense of securitySense of security inspires more play…

Not in a Box

Characteristics of Play

• Play is voluntary• Play requires active involvement• Play is symbolic• Play is free of external rules• Play focuses on action rather than outcomes• Play is pleasurable

Play’s Influential Contributors• Plato

– (427-347 BC)• John Amos Comenius

– (1592-1670)• John Locke

– (1632-1704)• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

– (1712-1778)• Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

– (1746-1827)• Friedrick Froebel

– (1782-1852)

• Patty Smith Hill – (1868-1946)

• John Dewey – (1859-1952)

• Sigmund Freud – (1856-1939)

• Eric Erikson – (1902-1994)

• Jean Piaget – (1896-1980)

• Lev Vygotsky – (1896-1934)

Developmental Stages of Play• Unoccupied Play• Onlooker Play• Solitary Play• Parallel Play• Associative Play• Cooperative Play• Symbolic Play or Dramatic Play

Unoccupied and Onlooker Play

• Unoccupied– Child occupies self – plays with hands, feet,

stands or walks about aimlessly

• Onlooker Play– Child watches, observes, but does not become

involved.

Solitary Play• A child is in a room

full of other children, but he/she is playing alone and not paying attention to anyone.

• a child playing with blocks alone in a corner.

Parallel Play• Children are playing the

same game or activity. They are playing next to each other, but they are not talking or doing the same activity.

• Two or more children playing with blocks near each other but not talkingwith each other.

Associative Play• Children are playing the same

game, but they are not working together or connecting with one another.

• two or more children playing with blocks building the same thing, talking with each other but not working together to create something.

Cooperative Play• Children are working

together to play a game.• Two or more children are

playing with blocks building the same thing, talking with each other and working together to create something.

Symbolic or Dramatic Play• “A type of creative, spontaneous play in which children use

their imaginations to create and dramatize pretend characters, actions or events.”

• Children enjoy combining cooperative play with pretend play to form what is called social fantasy play. In this type of play, each child is assigned a specific fantasy role (firefighter, nurse, superhero) in a game with a specific fantasy theme ("A trip to the moon") or Superhero fantasy play

• Social fantasy play enables children to assume leadership roles, learn to better manage their own feelings; and through role playing be more understanding of others.

Quiz1. Chen is painting at the easel alone.2. Juan is "serving dinner" to a table full

of friends in the dramatic play area.3. Trisha, Jenny, and Keiko are reading

different books in the library area.4. Three girls are in the block area. Each

child is building her own building.5. Diana is measuring sand in a small

pitcher at the sand table.6. There is a group of children playing

the game of Chutes and Ladders on the rug.

Choose– Solitary play– Parallel play– Associative play– Cooperative play

Role of the Teacher• Value children's play and talk to children about their

play. Adults often say "I like the way you're working," but rarely, "I like the way you're playing."

• Play with children when it is appropriate, especially during the early years. If adults pay attention to and engage in children's play, children get the message that play is valuable.

• Create a playful atmosphere. It is important for adults to provide materials which children can explore and adapt in play.

Role of the Teacher• When play appears to be stuck or unproductive, offer a new prop,

suggest new roles, or provide new experiences, such as a field trip. • Intervene to ensure safe play.

– Even in older children's play, social conflicts often occur whenchildren try to negotiate.

– You can help when children cannot solve these conflicts by themselves.

– You should identify play which has led to problems for particular children.

– You should check materials and equipment for safety.• You should make children aware of any hidden risks in physical

challenges they set for themselves.

Role of the Teacher• Guide the play, but do not direct or dominate the situation or

overwhelm children by participating.• Guardian of the gate.

– Teachers can also help children enter an existing play episode. Introduce an accessory that requires a new player or suggest an additional role. The adult can involve other children without violating the rights of those who initiated the activity.

• Capitalize on the children’s thoughts and ideas; do not force a point of view on them.

• Model play when necessary. – Show children how a specific character might act, how to ask

turns, how to hold a hammer. Model ways to solve problems that involve children interacting on their own behalf.

Role of the Teacher• Ask questions, to help children to clarify what is happening.• Helps children start, end, and begin again.

– Give verbal cues to enable them to follow through on an idea.• Focus the children’s attention on one another.

– Encourage them to interact with each other.• Interpret children’s behavior aloud, when necessary, as this helps

them to verbalize their feelings as they work through conflicts.• Be a peacemaker.

– Adults assuming this role help children resolve conflicts over toys and equipment, suggest alternative when disputes over roles occur, and invent new roles to extend play.

Role of the Teacher• Expand the play potential by making statements and

asking questions that lead to discovery and exploration.• Be an artist apprentice.

– Guide play through the subtle removal of clutter in the physicalspace and the provision of props needed to continue the theme.

• Matchmaker. – Choose to group players in pairs or small groups to stimulate

more involved play sequences. – Matching more skilled players with those who need assistance

may encourage children to help one another as they play.

Supporting Play in the Curriculum

Games Children

Play

Games With Rules

• Children become interested in formal games with peers by age five or younger.

• Older children's more logical and socialized ways of thinking make it possible for them to play games together.

• Games with rules are the most prominent form of play during middle childhood (Piaget, 1962)

Games With Rules• The main organizing element in game play consists of

explicit rules which guide children's group behavior. • Game play is very organized in comparison to sociodramatic

play. • Games usually involve two or more sides, competition, and

agreed-upon criteria for determining a winner. • Children use games flexibly to meet social and intellectual

needs. – For example, choosing sides may affirm friendship and a

pecking order.

Games With Rules• Games provide children with shared activities and goals.• Children often negotiate rules in order to create the game they

wish to play (King, 1986). • They can learn reasoning strategies and skills from strategy games

like checkers. – In these games, children must consider at the same time both

offensive alternatives and the need for defense. • Many card games encourage awareness of mathematics and of the

psychology of opponents. – Such games can be intellectually motivating parts of pre- and

primary school curriculum (Kamii & DeVries, 1980, Kamii, 1985).

String Games • http://www.alysion.org/figures/introduc.htm• Making string figures is a pastime that people throughout the

world have enjoyed for untold thousands of years. • String figures are an important part of many cultures. • They represent people, animals, places, and things of

importance. String figures may have ritual, aesthetic, mythological, or religious significance—or just be fun to make!

• Long before TV or any print media, people were using string figures to illustrate the stories they told around the campfire.

Resources• Play Is The Work of the Child

– http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/play-child-development.htm

• Kids Games– http://www.gameskidsplay.net/

• Traditional Games from Around the World– http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-

section.htm