Glossary of playwork terms

Glossary of playwork terms Adult-led agendas

Reasons for doing things on the basis of adult ideas, needs or wishes.

Adulteration

Play being controlled, taken over or spoiled by adults.

Child protection

The duty of adults to care for children in a way that neither they nor others cause harm to children and to report and record all concerns related to a child being harmed (see also safeguarding children).

Children’s rights

Publicly support and promote the importance of play.

Children’s entitlements under law and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this includes play and their involvement in decisions that affect them.

Affective play space

Children

Advocate for play

A space that pays attention to and supports the variety of feelings and moods that children and teenagers bring with them or have during play.

The space has particular areas, materials or props that at different times, stimulate or encourage expression, experience or experimentation with a range of emotions.

We use this term to encompass all children and teenagers up to the age of 18 regardless of impairment, their gender, race, religion or belief, language, sexuality, health, economic or social status and any other individual characteristics.

Compensatory play

Annihilation

The natural ending to play.

Play experiences for children to choose from that are designed to compensate for missing play opportunities in their lives.

Anti-discriminatory practice

Compensatory space

Taking positive action to counter discrimination – this will involve identifying and challenging discrimination and being positive in your practice about diversity without compromising the right of individuals to play.

Behavioural modes

The characteristics of play behaviour.

Biological drive

Natural inborn urge.

Child and play centred

Playwork that responds to the play needs of the children, not to external requirements.

A play space that takes account of what is available to children elsewhere in their community and aims to make up for shortfalls in possibility by offering an alternative environment.

Consultation

An active two-way process of informing and involving individuals and groups to encourage the sharing of ideas, views and opinions especially to reach an agreed decision.

Containment

Supporting play by providing a ‘virtual’ shield against interference.

Discrimination

Make unjust distinctions or fail to recognise support needs resulting in failure to acknowledge an individual’s right to participate in play and exercise freedom of choice.

Dysplay

Lack of response to a play cue that prevents the play from going forward.

Dynamic risk-benefit assessment

Active ongoing risk-benefit assessment of situations as they occur – usually taking place as a mental rather than a written process.

Ecological well-being

Good balanced relationship between the play space and all the players.

Environmental hazards

Things within the environment that may cause harm.

Equal opportunities

Recognising that play is for all children – we are all different and different children have different things to offer and different needs to be met. Equal opportunities mean supporting every child with respect and fairness.

Facilitate experimentation

Create the right environment and atmosphere to enable children to experiment.

Flow

The natural course of uninhibited play – where children are immersed in what they are doing.

Gender socialisation

The social pressure exerted on a child to behave in a way associated with being either male or female.

Hazard

Something that may cause harm to the health, safety or welfare of users of the play environment.

Inclusion

Ensuring that play provision is open and accessible to all and takes positive action in removing barriers so that all children can play.

Impact absorbent surface Safety surfacing.

Impairments

An individual physical, psychological or emotional make-up which differs from accepted norms.

Intervention styles

A range of methods the playworker can use in the play environment. These may range from non-involvement through to specific intervention to enhance the children’s play.

Intrinsically motivated

Internally driven reasons for doing something.

Loose parts

Materials that can be used flexibly for play – they can be moved around, manipulated, used as props or to change the environment.

Meta-communication

Deep and subtle communication that gives a real indication of what is being meant beyond any words that are being said, for example non-verbal play cues, intonation of voice, facial expressions and body movements.

Metalude

The action of the brain that produces the desire to play and issues a play cue (see play cue).

Monitoring and evaluation

Regularly observing and checking on specific aspects of the provision and then assessing whether they are fulfilling their intended purpose.

Narrative frame

A story line that keeps the play going.

Observe

Watch children’s play behaviors and the response of adults to ensure that the environment continues to provide effective play spaces.

Personal care

Provision of personal and intimate care to disabled children or very young children who are unable to provide care for themselves.

Play audit

An inventory of play provision, or the play opportunities available.

Quality play environment

Play cue

Facial expressions, language or body language that communicates the child or teenager’s wish to play or invite others to play.

Quality play provision offers all children and teenagers the opportunity to freely interact with or experience the following: other children and teenagers, the natural world, loose parts, the natural elements, challenge and risk-taking, playing with identity, movement, rough and tumble, the senses and feelings.

Play deprivation

Risk-benefit assessment

If children do not play they will lack experience that is developmentally essential and this may lead to them being biologically and socially disabled.

Play frame

An assessment of risk which also takes into account the benefits of the activity to the playing child.

Reflective practice

The real or imagined boundary that keeps the play intact.

Playworkers thinking deeply about what they do to identify what they do well and what they could improve to enhance their professional practice.

Play type

Resilience

Playwork curriculum

Return

Different kinds of play that can combine to make up children’s play behaviour.

The essential experiences playworkers make available to children including the elements, identity, concepts and the senses.

Ability to recover from, or cope with, difficult circumstances.

The response to a play cue (see play cue).

Rhythmical narrative

A rhythm that keeps the play going.

Playwork Principles

The professional and ethical framework for playwork.

Risk

Playwork theory

Safe boundary

The researched information that is relative to playwork and informs the way that it is practiced.

The possibility of a hazard actually causing harm.

A time and place (and the presence of playworkers) that creates a sense of security for playing.

Safeguarding

Term used to describe a whole range of ways that adults help protect children and keep them safe from harm.

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