health and social care- play
play definition
Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious of practical purpose
Enjoyable and Spontaneous
Follow own ideas and interests
Playwork definition
Working with children which supports and promotes children's play
Facilitates play without leading or directing it
The focus is not on the outcome but on the play itself
Why is play important?
Develops PILES
Gain knowledge and skills
Able to direct and control their own play experiences
Definition of play from Welsh government play policy
Elemental learning process by which humankind has developed
Performed for no external goal or reward, and is fundamental to healthy development
What are the benefits of play for children?
Inc self esteem and self respect
Improves physical and mental health
Gives opportunity for mixing with other children and learning social cues
Promotes imagination independence and creativity
Improves language skills and creativity
What are the benefits of play for families and communities?
Parents feel secure knowing that their children are happy, safe and enjoying themselves
Families benefit from healthier, happier children
Offers opportunities for social interaction for the wider community and support development of a greater sense of community spirit
Outside spaces such as playgrounds have important roles in everyday lives of children and young people
Why might children with physical disabilities find play difficult?
- balance and coordination issues means difficulty accessing play equipment
- limited walking ability means moving around play areas etc is difficult
Why might children with communication impairments find play difficult?
- clarity of speech means difficulty explaining own play
- may not understand rules of games etc
Why might children with emotional and behavioural disabilities find play difficult?
Difficulty understanding and responding to sensory stimuli
May be over/under sensitive
May not like certain messy or interactive plau
What is play therapy?
Works on the principle that children will express their deepest feelings and underlying problems through play and may keep the hidden under other circumstances
Therapist does not direct the play but encourages the child to express their feelings in a safe environement
Used when child has been through a truamatic event
Negative feelings can be transfered to the toys or acted out
What is purposeful play?
Focused play that actively seeks to strengthen a child's developmental growth
Play activities are intentionally designed to achieve specific learning goals
EXAMPLE:
If a child is throwing letters across the room
Ask if the child to throw letters into a bucket but first sound the letter out loud
Examples of purposeful play?
Toddler pong:
Age 1-3
Develops gross motor skills through throwing
Develops memory of numbers and letters
What is the Foundation Phrase Framework?
Statuatory education guidance for children aged 3-7
Describes 7 areas of learning that all childcare settings should aim for:
- personal and social development, wellbeing and cultural diversity
- mathematical development
- welsh language development
- knowing and understanding the world
- physical development
- creative development
- language, literacy and communication skills
What should the foundation phase framework include?
Opportunities for children to learn through exploration and discovering things for themselves
Structured experiences that have specific planned outcomes to extend the children's learning and development but ensure they are able to choose and extend the activity
What are the stages of play?
Unoccupied play: birth to 3 months
Solitary play: birth to 2 years
Spectator/onlooker play: 2 years
Parallel play: 2+ years
Associate play: 3 to 4 years
Cooperative play: 4+ years
What is unoccupied play?
Make a lot of movements with arms, legs, hands, feet etc
Discovering how their body moves
What is solitary play?
When a child plays alone
Exploring environment
What is spectator/onlooker play?
Begins to watch other children playing but does not play with them
Develops confidence and learn the way children play together
What is parallel play?
When a child plays alongside or near other but does not play with them
May participate in similar activities or different
Like to be around other children of similar age
What is associate play?
Child starts to interact with others during play
There is not a large amount of interaction
What is cooperative play?
Child plays together with others
Has interest in both the activity and other children invovled in playing
Make rules, take turns, share etc.
What are the categories of play?
Creative
Physical
Imaginative/pretend/role play
Environmental
Structured environment
What is creative play?
Make rules and are free to use imaginations to invent games, act out stories etc.
Unstructured and self directed
Should be given opportunities to engage in creative play everyday
E.G. role play
What is physical play?
Includes all types of physical activities
e.g. throwing a ball, climbing, skipping etc.
What is imaginative/pretend/roleplay?
Using imagination and creativity whilst learning to take turns, cooperate, share etc.
e.g. dress up, family role play
What is environmental play?
Settings are incorporating environmental play into learning and meeting children's needs for play
Uses natural elements to develop knowledge and understanding
e.g. sand/water play, mud kitchen
What is playing in an structured environment?
Can be organised sports and games, craft activities where children create a model with a specific end goal
Practitioners can create a structured play environment indoors or outdoors
What are the different levels of adult and child involvement in play?
Unstructured
Self directed
Child directed (free play)
Child directed with adult support (scaffolding: guided play)
Adut facilitated
Adult directed (games)
Adult controlled (direct instructions)
What is unstructured play?
Any period of child led play, motivated by their own interests and curiosity
Guided by own set of rules
Willingly engage deciding start and end point
What is self directed play?
The concept of allowing children to play without an imposed framework, on their own without adult interference
What is child directed play (free play)?
A style of play in which the adult is plaing one on one with the child, and the child is put in the leadership position
What is child directed play with adult support (scaffolding: guided play)?
Children are given goals slightly beyond their current learning by the adult and supported to reach their next stage of development
What is adult facilitated play?
Adult provides children with the support, materials or resources
As well as time and space to play
What is adult directed play? (games)
Adults direct games to improve listening and team work
What is Adult controlled play? (direct instructions)
Adult carefully plans activities to develop a specific skill or learing outcome
Resources chosen by the adult and the child must work through a series of steps to meet the desired outcome