Staff Tool 2 The role of adults in supporting play in situations of crisis

In situations of crisis children may be either reliant on adults to provide play opportunities for them or be largely unsupervised and playing in ways or places that cause concern for their safety and wellbeing.

As adults, it can be difficult to understand and make sense of children’s play behaviour but it is important that we remember that playing freely is children’s way of learning about their environment, relieving stress and coping with the situation they are in.

Adults affect children’s play significantly, by: • shaping (positively or negatively) children’s experience of play • regulating time for play opportunities • impacting on how and if space is made available • providing (or denying) materials.

Adults intervene in children’s play in a range of ways which can or hinder the opportunity for play. It is useful to be able to recognise examples of these to help us consider how we might support play to occur.

Wait to be invited to play. • Staff are sensitive and careful not to take over; they organise play activities only when children want them to

Leave the content/intent of play to the children. • Play is an integral part of the child’s experience of the world. Within safe limits, how it is done is a matter for them – it is their agenda

Enable play to occur uninterrupted. • Staff think hard before they organise too much or interrupt the flow of play

Enable children to explore their own values. • Supporting play requires a sensitive, flexible approach which recognises that children explore and understand value systems through playing and sometimes making mistakes

Let children decide why they play. • Play is behaviour without goals or rewards.

It is a process. No prizes or inducements need be offered

Enable children to decide what is appropriate behaviour, within safe limits. • The play space should exist for the children’s benefit. Play settings may need guidelines but they do not need complex rules

Leave children to develop skills at their own pace. • Play is a mechanism where children develop their own skills, abilities and judgement. Staff are conscious of allowing children to manage at their own pace and to learn through trial and error

Only organise when children want support. • Children sometimes run out of inspiration and become bored, and they may ask for help inventing something to do or to find resources they need.

Thinking about our responses to children’s play

We should aim to get directly involved in children’s play only when we are invited by them or when we have concerns about their safety.

A good way to think about this is to:

STOP yourself before you respond to, or stop, children’s play

LOOK AND LISTEN to what is happening. What are children doing?

THINK – Are children managing any risks? What might be the impact of adult involvement on children’s play?

ACT – Now you can respond in a thoughtful way, rather than by reflex.

REFLECT – Was your action the correct one? What have you learned?