PLAY!
The importance of play in the lives of children
What is play?
 According to Bruner, play can be seen as the main
opportunity for children to take risks without fear of
failure.
 Creativity and play are closely related
Developmental Characteristics of
Play
Development of motor skills
Vocabulary growth
Sharpening of the senses
Increased concentration
Expression of emotions –
empathy
Flexibility
Sharing, turn taking –
harmony
Role taking
Ordering, sequencing
Expansion of imagination and
creativity
Delay of gratification
Cognitive Development and Play
 5 basic forms of play:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Functional play/ exploratory play
Constructive play
Dramatic play
Sociodramatic play
Games with rules
**Take some time and review one of the forms as a pair.
Be ready to explain it to the group in a few minutes.**
Social Development and Play
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Solitary play
Parallel play
Associative play
Cooperative play
**Take some time and review one of the forms as a pair. Be
ready to explain it to the group in a few minutes.**
Distinguishing play from other
behaviours
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Active engagement
Intrinsic motivation
Attention to means rather than ends
Nonliteral behaviour
Existence of implicit rules
**Take some time and review one of the forms as a pair. Be
ready to explain it to the group in a few minutes.**
Adapting Play to Individual Learners
1. Children should be free to choose their own play experiences.
2. The environment should offer play alternatives that are meaningful and
accessible to children.
3. Play experiences should be based on objectives derived from observations
of children in order to facilitate development progress from their present level
to a higher level of development.
4. Educators should plan a range of play experiences from the simple to the
complex and begin with very concrete learning challenges in which the
concepts of skills to be mastered are clear and observable to the learner.
5. A balance of structured and open-ended activities should be provided.
6. A balance of individual and group activities to allow for children’s unique
learning styles should be provided.
7. Equipment, materials, and supplies should be placed in well-defined learning
centers that ensure children’s receipt of messages from their environment
about what they should be doing and learning in each learning center.
Types of Play
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Active
Cooperative
Creative
Dramatic
Manipulative
Quiet
Active Play
 Play that involves movement and physical activity.
Active play is the perfect type of play to tucker any
youngster out!
Cooperative Play
 More than one child playing together or around each
other. Children learn from watching other children
play and interacting with them socially
Creative Play
 Play that ignites a child's imagination and makes
something out of nothing!
Dramatic Play
 Play that involves pretend and make believe, or
whatever the imagination dreams.
Manipulative Play
 Play that involves hand-eye coordination and motor
skills. Children need the opportunity to work on finer
skills that involve a little more control and direction.
Quiet Play
 Play that keeps children's mouths shut but their
minds open. Playtime for children should have the
opportunity to be quiet — the playtime for which
adults are sometimes grateful!