Play...

What is play?

 Play  is often referred to as children’s work. Play is a time where children have the opportunity to learn and develop both individually and socially. Free play is a term used when children have the opportunity to choose what they want to do and when they want to do it. Free play works best when children are not restricted by rules, restrictions and boundaries.   
From personal experience of working with children between the ages of 0-8 and children with special needs play can be very influential in a child’s development it may look unimportant but it provides opportunities to learn important life skills such as working logically, problem solve, cooperation skills and developing trial and error skills.

In the 1930s Parten noticed that there were 5 different stages of play which children go through as they develop and became more socially interactive.

Stage 1: Solitary play, this is where children want to have their own personal space and would prefer to do things independently.

Stage 2: Spectator play, this is where children might watch what other children do but do not want to join in.

Stage 3: Parallel play, this is where children play alongside each other but not play together and may not even talk about what they are doing.

Stage 4: Associative play, this is where two children may play the same thing but not yet playing together.

Stage 5: Cooperative play, this develops when the child is older and it is where children gradually begin to share and compare and exchange ideas with each other. This later leads to the both children playing together.

Bruce et al (2010) states that:

‘The charter of children’s rights (1989) states that every child in the world has the right to play. Play is not the same as recreation or relaxation. Play is about the highest levels of development and learning...’ (p.353)

Here is a short YouTube clip which can explain how influential and important play is in a child’s life and development.

How does play help development?

Play can help a child’s development because it can help enhance both fine and gross motor skills, for example, taking part in a threading activity develops fine motor skills as children would use small movements and hand eye coordination, however children playing in a park setting would use gross motor skills to run around, jump, hop as this requires movement of large muscles groups in the body. 

 Are there any positives or negatives?

There are both positives and negatives of play on children’s development, the positives are that it helps children understand their feelings and experiment with them for example, a sad mum, a grumpy bus driver. It allows them to develop their empathy skills by learning how others may feel when they are sad, happy or angry. It also helps children develop their communications skills, to reflect on life, think flexibly, bring together what they have been learning by having opportunities to apply and experiment safely.

Sandberg and Heden (2011) state:

            ‘Through play, children have the possibility to exist in an imaginary world where they have the opportunity to become someone else, and thereby experience different situations and feelings.’

A negative of play is that if play is restricted by boundaries and rules it can hinder all of the positives and therefore the child would not be able to develop these skills which they need throughout life.

 

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