PEDAGOGY The Nature of Play

Written by Susan Cooper -Pedagogical Leader

This 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.