Facilitate children’s play, learning and physical activity

Follow child’s lead in play and physical activity and participate when invited

Participating in children’s playOne of the wonderful things about being an early childhood carer is that you still get to play without people thinking that you are strange. You can sit down and wiggle your toes in sand or have a piece of sand birthday cake, chase bubbles and experiment with slime, and present new challenges to yourself and the children in your care.

You must decide what your role will be in a particular activity. When identifying your role, you need to consider what is best for the children involved in the activity.

You must develop the skill of balancing adult-centred activities with child-centred play, recognising that the way children play is part of their individuality and should be respected. You must also wait for an invitation.

There is one important factor that all quality carers must be aware of—and this is when to be enthusiastic and when to back off. Children love adults to participate in their play, but it is their play not yours.

Identifying your roleBefore actually carrying out the plan, it is important to consider what your role is during the experience.

Some considerations are as follows.

• Is this a set and forget activity, ie will you simply set up the activity and then allow the children to participate with little or no assistance from a carer?

• Will you need to interact with the children during the experience to support their play and encourage learning?

• What level of supervision or interaction is required?

© NSW DET 2007

• What will you say and do during the experience to encourage the children’s involvement?

All these questions should be considered during planning.

Your role will vary according to the age of the children participating and the type of experience you are offering. Consider, for example, the level of involvement required for a finger painting experience with toddlers, compared to a cutting and pasting activity with pre-schoolers. The main job you have during any activity or experience is to encourage children’s involvement in a positive manner.

Activity 1

How children invite caregivers to playChildren from different age groups will have different ways and levels of asking adults to participate in their care.

• Infants do not have the verbal language but may make eye contact or pass a toy.• Toddlers may set up their play next to their caregiver and use simple direct

language to express their desire.• Pre-schoolers tend to verbalise their request for you to participate or provide

assistance. • Older children are more likely to ask a carer directly to play or participate.

These are only examples. It is essential that caregivers develop an awareness of how different children may invite them into their play.

Initiate play and physical activities and invite child to participate

Sometimes we need to use our skills to initiate the play experience and invite the child to join in.

This may happen:

• if a child is having difficulty settling in to the service environment• if a child has difficulty entering into play with other children or groups • if a child has had limited experience in making choices and needs to be

encouraged to choose an activity

© NSW DET 2007

• when you want to introduce a new game or experience to the children which you feel will follow up on their interests

• when you would just like to spend some time with a child or have planned something for them that you think this individual child will enjoy.

If you have planned carefully, based on your knowledge of the individual children, you may find that your invitation for the child to participate is accepted eagerly. You need, however, to be sensitive to what the child is doing when you issue your invitation.

Try not to interrupt any play in which the child is already engaged. Interruption sends a subtle message that you are not respectful of the child’s choices and believe that whatever they are doing could not possibly be as important as doing an activity with an adult. Delay the experience and offer it later or make sure the child knows that it will be available when she is ready.

Remember to respect a child’s decision not to participate.

Respect children’s decision not to participateAt some point in our lives we have all been forced to participate in unwanted experiences.

Being forced to participate can leave a person feeling:

• embarrassed• reluctant• scared• humiliated• angry• powerless• resentful• withdrawn.

Children feel the same emotions when carers force them to participate in experiences that have been planned for them.

Being able to choose to participate or not to participate is important. We are trained in providing experiences that will help with development but we are not mind readers and experts on individual feelings, emotions and desires.

Forcing a child to participate is conveying the message that ‘my needs and wants are more important than yours’. If we are trying to create an environment that is positive and stimulating this is not the path to follow.

Children and adults of all ages will not always want to participate. Quality carers will recognise and respect their choices.

Some strategies to create an environment that respects non-participation appear below.

© NSW DET 2007

• One experience will not always appeal to all children, so ensure you provide options.

• Consult on a regular basis with the children about the experiences they would like.• Establish quiet escape areas.• Do not hound a child to participate. Accept their choice.• Negotiate with the children to identify their interests not your preferences.• Remember you are not running a three-ring circus where each child needs to be

‘moved through’ each activity.

Do you recall making a suggestion or sharing your ideas only to have them all quickly dismissed?

Have you ever started a task only to have someone come and take over in a bossy fashion?

Now imagine how a child must feel when their ideas and interests are not taken into account.

Caregivers are constantly planning experiences for the children’s enjoyment, so it is essential that their ideas, wishes and interests be incorporated to provide a positive and supportive environment.

Some children cannot or will not express their ideas verbally. It is here that observation will assist you in working out what the child’s interests are. By observing children we are able to identify their needs and interest areas and then incorporate them into our planning.

Interact with children showing enthusiasm, playfulness and enjoyment

Working collaboratively with the childrenBy working collaboratively you are simply working together, and this can be an extremely exciting, positive, rewarding and challenging part of early childhood education.

When caregivers collaborate with the children in their care they convey the message of respect for their play, ideas and feelings. Working collaboratively enhances the role of facilitating and guidance by assisting children in clarifying ideas, finding available resources, understanding others points of view and seeing their ideas in action.

Working collaboratively with children involves:

© NSW DET 2007

• ensuring that all participants’ opinions are asked for and valued• ensuring that all opinions are heard• providing alternative suggestions• acting on other suggestions happily• responding to suggested changes and adapting accordingly.

When you work collaboratively with children and others in the environment you can all achieve something special.

Activity 2

Providing guidanceWhy provide guidance?

Some reasons for providing guidance are as follows.

• Safety. Children often take risks without thinking of consequences and may need guidance to stay safe themselves or keep others safe.

• Physical and emotional health. Children need to feel good about the things they do or they will often be reluctant to participate. Carers need to provide support and reassurance to help them feel good about themselves.

• Social awareness. Children do not have an awareness of others. It is something that they develop over time. Carers need to support this gradual process by helping them develop the skills to interact effectively and cooperatively with others.

• Self-esteem and self-control. Children are only aware of their own needs and desires. They need assistance in developing skills to take responsibility for their actions whilst still feeling positive about who they are.

Providing guidance to the children in your care is essential to ensure the environment remains positive.

Guidance can be implemented in two ways:

1. directly—the way you talk and interact with the children2. indirectly—the way you set up the layout of the environment.

Direct guidanceThis can be expressed in a variety of ways.

Your relationshipIf you show children respect, listen to their opinions, acknowledge their feelings and help them verbalise things, you are showing that you have a positive relationship built on mutual respect.

© NSW DET 2007

If this is demonstrated, children are more likely to display this back to you and others around them.

Your language It is often far easier to use negative language when working with others. Words such as ‘don’t’ and ‘no’, however, provide little direction or support. Positive language such as ‘when you climb over the trestle, try holding the top for balance’ provides support, guidance and helpful assistance. It is also essential to follow through on what you say. Saying one thing and doing another only destroys trust and respect.

Your behaviour Children learn by observing those around them—they are great little imitators—so combining what you say consistently with your behaviour is essential. If, for example, you tell a child to put on sunscreen and a hat so they can play outside and then you proceed outside without making sure they do so, you convey the message ‘it’s not really that important’ or ‘you don’t have to listen to me’.

Children will also need to develop conflict-resolution skills, and your behaviour is critical in modelling appropriate actions.

Your awareness as a carer Using awareness is the way to anticipate and identify things before they actually occur. You can then act to prevent the situation or reduce the negative consequences. Being aware of how the children in your care are feeling and knowing their needs helps promote a safe and secure environment.

Indirect guidanceThis is the way you establish the environment for the children’s play. To ensure you are providing the best possible environment, you need to ask yourself a few simple questions.

• Are the children’s ideas, interests and needs reflected in the play space?• Are the experiences offered in a way that will attract and promote interest from

the children?• Is the equipment child-friendly and can children help themselves to the materials

they need and put equipment away?• Are the shelves and crates labelled with words and pictures to help children with

choice and direction?• Is the space friendly to the needs of all those at the service? Can a child in a

wheelchair get access to the toys on the tables or is a noisy experience set up too near the cot room?

• Is the space set up to prevent overcrowding? How do I prevent overcrowding through my strategies? For example, do I place four chairs at a table with four balls

© NSW DET 2007

of dough to reinforce the idea that only four children should sit at the table at any one time?

The way that an environment is set up says a lot to the children, parents, staff and visitors who attend the service and can, in turn, affect their behaviour while there.

Monitor children’s reactions to play environment to ensure each child remains interested, challenged but not frustrated

The three previous activities should help you identify appropriate strategies to encourage the children around you. Remember to take into account the child’s developmental level and to respond accordingly.

Monitor children’s reactions to the play environment to ensure each child remains interested and challenged—not frustrated.

Remember that we need to always:

• reinforce or extend a child’s interest in a particular topic or type of play• challenge or extend existing skills (strengths)• support emerging skills (needs).

Often we are doing more than one of these things at the same time. Some knowledge about typical and atypical child development is also needed to ensure the experiences we provide are neither too simple nor too challenging for the children involved.

Monitoring for boredom and frustrationAn essential part of facilitating play and leisure is being able to recognise signs of boredom and frustration.

Do you remember being taken somewhere—a movie, perhaps, or a sports event—and not being in the least interested? Well this occurs with children in childcare settings, too. If you are not a tuned-in caregiver, then the children in your care will not get the most out of the environment and experiences you have to offer.

Boredom is indicated by behaviour such as:

© NSW DET 2007

• withdrawing from the experience• staring at something else• daydreaming• becoming distracted• becoming aggressive.

If flexibility is not shown, and the environment is not altered to meet the needs of the children, behaviour problems will increase and nobody will have a fun day.

Frustration is another reaction that must quickly be identified and adaptations implemented.

Frustration occurs most commonly when children:

• find an experience too easy or too hard • want to release energy but they are being confined.

Tuned-in carers can monitor for boredom and frustration by:

• knowing the children in their care well• observing the children they are working with• identifying the children’s needs and interests• planning for group experiences and individual children• evaluating the experiences.

Working with children can be a rewarding and satisfying career. It can also sometimes be extremely frustrating and disappointing. Providing an environment that facilitates play and leisure takes time and effort but it does ensure that you always see positive responses.

Activity 3

Adapting experiences to meet children’s needsEven when we have used all of the above strategies, there will be occasions when our planning goes out the window. There will be times when an experience will take the children further than you planned and occasions when you will end up totally disappointed.

This is okay. Even the most experienced carers will experience both ends of the spectrum. What is important is that you learn from the experience. It is essential that we have the flexibility to make changes so that the children get the most out of it.

The final outcome of such events will depend on your reaction. Often you will be faced with three options:

• Do you stick to the original plan and keep plodding through?• Do you throw the plan out the window?• Do you adapt and modify your plan?

© NSW DET 2007

In order to meet the needs of the children, you should adapt your plan as you go.

To successfully adapt an experience, follow the guidelines below.

• Monitor and observe the children’s responses throughout the experience. Where did you lose them? Why?

• Assess the changes that need to be made and implement them as quickly as possible.

• Evaluate the whole process and note what you learned along the way.

Activity 4

Extending children’s playExtending children’s play is another part of the support you offer. Find out whether play needs to be extended by observing the children and listening to their ideas. When you think that extension is required, you can:

• provide suggestions for other play experiences• introduce new and different props and materials into the play • encourage children to think of alternatives they could pursue.

Activity 5

Encourage children to include other children in their play

We live in a social world. Children need to develop skills to initiate and respond to positive social relationships in order to function as happy individuals within the group. We need to encourage children to include other children in their play to learn about turn-taking and sharing of resources as well as to experience the enjoyment and satisfaction that pro-social behaviours can engender.

This does not mean that we expect children to like everyone. We all have individual preferences for people. There are some people we enjoy being with more than others. Individual differences in gender, personality, interests and behaviours, as well as cultural differences, may influence whom children like to play with. We can, however, draw children’s attention to the positive attributes of others and model our respect for each individual.

© NSW DET 2007

It is important for all children to feel part of a group. Remember, however, that not all children may be ready to participate in a group. Also, some children may be ready to participate in small groups only—not large groups.

When is a child ready to participate in a group?Children’s play develops in scope and complexity as they progress through the early childhood years.

A good general principle is that the younger the child, the smaller the grouping should be.

Toddlers tend to play alone (solitary play) or alongside but still independently from other children (parallel play). Infants and toddlers may need to be in a group that consists of the carer and themselves for most of the day.

Younger pre-schoolers tend to play in groups of other children in common activities or with common materials (associative play) where they talk to each other but do not work to ‘build’ the play together.

Activity 6

What is co-operative play?Co-operative play is a much more organised form of activity where children come together in planning and implementing play ideas. This type of play has a very important role in promoting positive social behaviours and enhancing all areas of development.

Very young children find it more difficult to engage in co-operative play for sustained periods as their stage of cognitive, language, social and emotional development does not support the skills needed for this intense social interaction. There are many strategies, however, that you can use to encourage co-operative play even in young children who are not yet ready to fully engage in this type of activity.

How big should the group be?Large groups tend to be overstimulating for any age group and quieter children tend to be ignored. A smaller group encourages more intense and co-operative social behaviour in all age groups. Therefore, a very positive strategy carers can use is to provide play opportunities that support twosomes and small groups.

Strategies for supporting co-operative playIn a group care setting, even very young children will need to feel a sense of group identity and that their individual contribution is valued by the group.

© NSW DET 2007

Below are some guidelines.

• Encourage children to support each other by modelling trust and acceptance.• Encourage children to see the value of each child’s contribution to the group.• Actively support group play, so that when a child is invited to participate it remains

a positive experience for all children in the group. • Facilitate the interactions to ensure that the children are encouraged to see the

value of each child’s contribution to the group. • Plan provisions where children can see the play is enhanced by the participation of

others, and provide positive feedback to children when they invite other children into their play.

• Allow plenty of free time for friendships and play partnerships to develop.• Model techniques for entering and leaving groups and support children in these

situations where necessary.• Participate in children’s play where necessary to model the skills of negotiation

and problem-solving.• Provide materials of a type and quantity to encourage groups of children to play

together, for example, socio-dramatic play in dress-ups or home corner.• Offer praise and encouragement when children display the skills of co-operative

play. • Where possible, allow younger children to be involved in and learn co-operative

play from older children. Let them see it in action!

Make sure you respect individual children’s stage of development by recognising their readiness to be involved in co-operative play.

Monitor interaction between children to ensure children remain safe and are interacting appropriately

Ensuring children remain safe and are interacting appropriatelyIt is crucial that carers monitor interactions that occur during the day. You need to be aware of characteristically dominant and passive members of the group as well as uncharacteristic behaviours which may occur during play. It is important to anticipate potentially destructive interactions but not to pre-empt problems by interfering inappropriately or too soon. This is a

© NSW DET 2007

particular skill that carers need to develop in order to sense the right time to intervene in children’s interactions.

Carers should not continually solve the children’s problems but rather facilitate them towards solving their own problems. No child, however, should ever be left feeling threatened, intimidated or unsupported during group interactions. Children need to know that adults will help them when they have not yet developed the skills to help themselves.

Activity 7

Redirect children’s inappropriate play

Things to considerThere are several things to consider when children are displaying inappropriate behaviours. Firstly the way the environment is set up has a powerful effect on children’s behaviour and needs to be considered. Is the environment part of the problem? Do you need to adapt the physical design of the centre and the organisation of the program to ensure that children have the space and opportunity to explore, express feeling and feel safe?

The power of the adult as a role model cannot be underestimated with carers nurturing the skills young children need to learn in order to relate well to others such as turn taking, waiting, joining a group, respecting others feelings and belongings and managing change and separation.

Carers need to acknowledge and reinforce appropriate and desirable behaviour. Thanking a child for waiting for their turn to use the paint.

A few points that may be useful when guiding behaviour;

• The first step is a good relationship with the child• Young children cooperate better when they know you and trust you • A general rule is try to prevent the problem if possible• Children need to hear what they can do.

RedirectionThe purpose of redirection is to remind young children that their behaviour is not acceptable at that time or place by guiding the children to an alternative behaviour. This is done by

© NSW DET 2007

guiding the child’s attention away from the unwanted activity to an acceptable activity or behaviour.

Young toddlers love filling and emptying. Monique 18 months is happily empting all the clean washing out of the washing basket onto the floor. You encourage her to help you fold the laundry and put it away.

Daniel 4 years old wants to draw and is trying to push his way into a group of children already busy drawing at the drawing table. A sensitive carer could set some drawing materials up for him at a nearby table, space permitting or redirect him to another activity until there is room for him at the drawing table.

Two of the preschoolers are having a great time flicking paint at each other. You stop them and remind them that they need to keep the paint on the paper. It’s a lovely day outside so you decide to set up some paper on the fence in the outdoor area and then say to them “Come outside I’ve got something you might enjoy. You can flick paint onto this paper if you want”.

Joshua 3 years old is knocking down Alana’s sand mound and she doesn’t want him to. You explain this to him and suggest there is space for him to build his own mound which he can then knock down, helping him if need be.

In all of these examples the carers have assisted the children to achieve a more suitable outcome while engaging in the activity of their choice.

Role modelling cooperative play is another possibility when redirecting inappropriate play.

Activity 8

Provide interesting and varied natural outdoor space to encourage active play

Active playThe opportunity for children to engage in active gross motor play is essential to develop strength, spatial awareness, posture, coordination and balance. Building confidence in physical abilities has the added advantage of helping children to develop positive self esteem.

Areas for active play outdoors include;

• Areas for running, jumping and ball games

© NSW DET 2007

• Areas for climbing and balancing• Areas for wheeled toys

Physical activity should be fun and a part of a child’s daily routine. The National Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Youth suggest that infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children be given plenty of opportunities throughout the day to enjoy physically active play.

Guidelines currently utilised by parents and professionals caring for children in the birth to five-age group are based on those published by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NAPSE), an association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2006). These guidelines suggest the following recommendations;

• Infants should interact with parents and/or carers in daily physical activities that promote exploration of their environment. Physical activity for infants should promote the development of movement skills.

• Toddlers should be involved in 30 minutes of structured physical activity each day and a minimum of 60 minutes to several hours of unstructured physical activity.

• Preschoolers should be involved in 60 minutes of structured physical activity each day and a minimum of 60 minutes to several hours of unstructured physical activity.

Providing for active play in a challenging natural outdoor environment is an ideal way for keeping children physically active.

Natural outdoor play spacesYoung children need opportunities for exploration, discovery and learning. Natural outdoor play spaces provide a focus for children’s natural curiosity and will help them to build a relationship with the natural environment.

Natural outdoor play spaces need to reflect the local landscape and climate. They need to combine a number of natural elements such as trees, shrubs, flowers, sand, soil and rocks and contain a variety of habitats. They should be seen as a work in progress and constantly evolving.

Keeping seasonal changes in mind a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees allow for shade in the summer months, some sun in winter and an array of colour in the autumn months.

Indigenous plants that occur naturally in the local area should also be incorporated throughout the garden. Species that are local to the area should grow successfully and require limited maintenance once established. Flowering native trees will bring birds, bees and butterflies into the play space and allow the children to observe birds feeding on native blossoms at particular times of the year.

Natural outdoor areas can include;

© NSW DET 2007

• Gardens where children can grow their own plants. Plants could include flowers, vegetables, herb gardens and sensory gardens.

• Open spaces to run and chase balls or bubbles• Digging patches • Secret gardens • Places of interest• Cubbies• Well maintained worm farms and compost areas• Logs, boulders, rocks and stones• Variation in ground surfaces• Trees of a suitable size to encourage climbing skills provided there is adequate

supervision and safety measures in place.• Seating

Elements in the outdoor space and sensory spaces

Earth

Children need to play with earth. A special digging patch gives them a chance to dig holes and make mud pies and rivers without getting mud all over the garden. Children also need to work with the earth and know that it is not just ‘dirt’. They should be taught how to nurture growing things. There needs to be growing places, even if they are just tubs, pots or window boxes. Children can help prepare soil, plant seeds and tend flowers and shrubs. They can grow, harvest, prepare and eat some of their own vegetables.

Sand

© NSW DET 2007

Playing with sand is a pleasant and relaxing experience—children love the feel of sand. It is creative because children are free to do things in their own way. They can change or extend what they are doing as their imaginative, symbolic play develops. Digging, scooping, patting, smoothing and lifting are all good activities for developing muscles and coordination. Social development can be fostered as children learn to share, take turns, cooperate on projects and learn safety rules about sand play.

ClayClay is a natural, earthy material which is soft and easily manipulated by children. Children do not always need to produce objects made from clay. They may enjoy just getting the feel of the material, rolling it about their hands. Young children probably get most from the activity when they are only using their own hands.

Playing with clay allows children to express ideas in a multidimensional way. Pushing, pulling, moulding and squeezing, develops children’s muscles and coordination. Children talk to others as they share the clay and share ideas, developing their social abilities and their language.

Water

Water helps children to relax and it is enjoyable and soothing. Water play is easy and does not require heavy demands on children. Joining in such a fun activity together can help children learn to play and share with others.

Science, mathematics and language are all being explored as children enjoy simple things like pouring water through a sieve, filling two small containers from one large container, siphoning water with a hose or tube, experimenting with floating and sinking objects, and chatting about what they are discovering.

Varied spacesThe outdoor play space needs to provide a wide range of experiences for the diversity of children who use the space.

Portable equipment makes it possible to rearrange the outdoor area and make adaptations as required. A climbing area can be created with moveable equipment and later removed to allow for running, ball games or parachute activities. Portable equipment can be changed on a daily basis to suit the program.

© NSW DET 2007

Digging in soil provides play experiences that are different from sand play. Shrub planting, smooth boulders, logs or planks can be used to define the boundaries of the digging patch and give it a natural appearance. Children can use mud wet or dry for mudpies, cooking, digging trenches or creating roadways. Ideally digging patches should be large enough for large muscle activity and should be turned over regularly to prevent the soil compacting. A convenient water supply is also a must.

Plants, timber lattice and bamboo can be used as screens to create secret gardens where children can retreat from active areas either to enjoy some quite time alone or play in small groups.

Cubbies also offer privacy and social intimacy outdoors. Hedges and shrubs provide wonderful enclosures for children’s cubbies. Cubbies can be set up under trees, you can make tent like cubbies or bush cubbies by draping cloth, tarpaulins or parachutes over an existing branch or climbing frame. Children can incorporate leaves, gumnuts and pods into their pretend play in the cubby. Permanent structures such as miniature houses or forts with a platform can become anything the child can imagine including a pirate ship, a haunted house or a castle.

Water features such as a water fountain, water courses or trickle streams, creeks and rain water tanks provide open ended play opportunities. Water fountains provide the soothing sound of trickling water to the outdoor environment. Water courses or trickle streams are great for preschoolers to explore especially on hot days. They can be designed with a pump that recycles the water and need to be situated in active areas where there is constant supervision. Rain water tanks help children to develop an understanding about the origins of water and the water cycle. Water from the rain tank can be used to water the plants in the garden and for water play either in water troughs, the sandpit or digging patch.

SupervisionActivity 9

The benefits of natural outdoor play spacesNatural outdoor play spaces provide children with opportunities to;

• Develop an understanding of the need to care for the environment

© NSW DET 2007

• Gain self confidence and skills through physically active play• Actively explore the natural environment• Foster an understanding and appreciation of our natural environment• Develop physical fitness• Undertake healthy risk taking activities in a managed environment• Children with disabilities will equally benefit from access to natural outdoor play

spaces. Abilities may vary but all children can benefit from outdoor play

If you would like to know more about natural outdoor play spaces you might wish to consult,

Elliott, S. 2008, The Outdoor Playspace Naturally — for Children Birth to Five Years, Pademelon Press, Castle Hill N.S.W.

Prepare and provide suitable materials for activities

How to prepare and provide suitable materials for activities is covered in the topic ‘Create a stimulating, positive and developmentally environment to foster play and learning’ which you should revise

Activity 10

Don’t forget that almost anything you plan indoors can be done outdoors (weather permitting).

You also need to give consideration to how you organise the materials in the environment and the preparation time for setting up and packing away afterwards.

A combination of open ended experiences such as sand, play dough, clay, woodwork, construction and art and craft activities are needed as well as more closed ended experiences like puzzles and board games. Open ended materials such as natural materials, recycled materials and junk assist in providing variation and flexibility in the materials and activities you provide.

© NSW DET 2007