The Nature of Play
Written by Susan Cooper -Pedagogical LeaderThis month, I would like us to reflect on how the nature of play occurs in multitude of ways.
So, WHY PLAY?
Through the ever-compartmentalized nature of time, including children’s’ time, play opportunities is often limited Play supports the holistic skills development and resilience children need to thrive in a complex, constantly changing world, however this is the one strategy that is often overlooked Professionals forever appear to be justifying ‘Why Play’, against the many benefits such as physical health, education, therapy, and the increased need to have to apply adult agendas to it
Adulteration, placing adult agenda as opposed to the child’s agenda, can often have the potential to limit the true value of ‘play’ Play is often delivered to children in an unintentional, however calculated, and extrinsic way.
·Adults set the environments against adult agenda
Adults select the resources that will be offered to the children ·Adults seldom seek the voice of the child to support their play experiences.
Strengthening the connection between
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Understanding Play
Play, is a range of intrinsically motivated activities, if we consider the playwork approach, new terminology highlighted in the updated version 2 0, MTOP (My Time, Our Place) Learning Framework
Playwork: is the specific act of affecting the whole environment with intentionality to improve opportunities for play.
Referenced Pg 67 Glossary MTOP ---------------------------------------------------
We can understand how play should be seen as ‘freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated’. Research has proven that learning occurs more easily and is more meaningful when there is an emotional connection to the learning.
Play is a powerful behaviour, that is often a missed agenda for many Early Childhood Professionals, extrinsic agenda will often lead to children being told what they should experience, not living the experience As adults, we need to trust in the play process, accept that in play, children will create situations which excite and act out emotions in ways in which they feel they can Children will immerse themselves in multifarious experiences within their play setting.
Play: is fundamental to the healthy development and wellbeing of individuals and communities. It is often defined by a range of characteristics including freely chosen, self-directed, pleasurable, meaningful, symbolic and intrinsically motivating. (Reference Pg. 67 Glossary EYLF/MTOP )
THEORY
Play is a powerful behaviour, that is often a missed agenda for many Early Childhood Professionals, extrinsic agenda will often lead to children being told what they should experience, not living the experience As adults, we need to trust in the play process, accept that in play, children will create situations which excite and act out emotions in ways in which they feel they can Children will immerse themselves in multifarious experiences within their play setting
Pyschologist and Theorist, Lev Vygotsky expressed the idea of play as a ‘lived experience’ Through play, children will experience the many additional emotional connections It is often referred to as children will learn best, when the experience is joyful, this is somewhat misinterpreted as it can be observed through play that children will act out deep emotional to manage and deal with real life experiences that will be exhibited through their play experiences These deep emotions are equally important as the joyous ones. Research from neuroscience and child psychology fields show children manage their stress and express their emotions through play where they lack the words
EYLF/MTOP VYGOTSKYPlay-based learning and intentionality
Combined and Renamed Practice - EYLF/MTOP
So, what does this mean?
The connection between play and intentionality has been strengthened for both children and educators to emphasise their roles in play, teaching and learning. Educators are expected to be intentional in all aspects of practice
Meaning, educators take a more intentional (active) role in teaching and guiding a play-based curriculum In our settings, we often see the demand for adult-driven outcomes and a pedagogy of play, we often see educators become challenged to engage with and extend child-initiated play for learning.
Understanding play-based pedagogy, if we view pedagogy as the active teaching and the values, ideas and knowledge that forms the relationship between the educator and the child
The EYLF Framework defines play-based pedagogy as a context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds as they engage actively with people, objects and representations.
The idea that children learn through play is a fundamental core concept to early childhood pedagogy
What does a play-based approach to learning look like?
When educators offer wide range of play-based experiences for children’s learning and development rather than using formal teaching experiences. This can be planned for, by offering resources which allow open ended use of items such as blocks, sand, water or cardboard boxes to foster creativity and imagination
When our programs offer and encourage large blocks of unhurried and uninterrupted play sessions. For example, how many times may children's play be stopped to transition and the need to pack up what they have been working on? Reflect upon your daily routines and how we could we offer flexibility to allow for continuation to play?
Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing
Children become strong in their physical learning and wellbeing
Children are aware of and develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health and personal safety.
For reflection
“To trust children, we must first learn to trust ourselves… and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted”. John Halt
Outdoor Activities & Invitation to Play
Nature Based Provocations - Including pebbles, logs and could add clay or playdough to encourage creations
Pots and Pans - engage the children in real world imaginary play- adding water, flowers to foster exploration.
Sensory and messy play - sand, water, mud, dirt, Inquiry approach teaching - wind moving the trees, living creatures, gardens, clouds creating patterns
Tuff tray set ups - construction, dinosaur invitation, birds nest set up etc.
Large, recycled items, such as pvc piping, corrugated tubing, plastic crates, buckets in sandpit
Water play - coloured, foamy, bubbles, adding utensils for filling, pouring, mixing
Real life kitchen materials - try adding those with shiny surfaces for some reflective fun.
Cups/bowls/jugs/plastic containers with lids for filling and shaking.
Picnic baskets and rugs
Buckets of loose parts and recycled materials with different textures
Fragrant elements from nature (flowers, herbs, vegies, gumtree leaves etc)
Child sized gardening tools and buckets.
Musical instruments or ribbon hanging
Spray bottles with coloured water Compost piles, worm farms, bug hotels
How much of your play as a child involved the outdoors?
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