Forms of Play..
As children develop they will move from individual play to group play. How an older child chooses to play may depend on how they may be feeling at the that moment in time,or their individual preference. The way most children play will usually vary from day-day and situation to situation….
It is said that there are three basic forms of play…
Solitary Play..Babies usually like to spend much of their time playing on their own. They are exploring all aspects of their environment from the sound of their own voice and the feel of their own body part to those of others.They want to look,grab,suck and rattle any object that they come into contact with.
Older children at times may also prefer to play on their own. They may spend hours making up their own stories with their toys.Older children like to build,draw,paint invent and explore by themselves,they may also like to read and write on their own,but of course if they ask for our help I feel we should help and encourage them.
Parallel Play…
From the age of around two -three years of age(this can vary from child to child). Children start to play alongside other children without much interaction with each other. They may be engaged in similar activities or totally different activities as other children in the group they like being around others of their own age at this stage in their development.
Now even though it may appear that they don’t care about the presence of the other children,just you try separating them and you will see that this contact within the group is very important to them.
Group Play….
It is said that by the age of three many children maybe ready for pre-school/nursery,They are mostly potty trained by this age,and they are able to communicate and socialize with others.They can share ideas and toys. Through interactive play they have begun to learn and improve their social skills in things such as sharing toys,and taking turns.They also develop the ability to collaborate on the ‘theme’ of the play activity. The children not the adults should institute the play themes and structure. Adults should only intervene when children show signs that they may need help or coaching on social and problem solving skills..
It is important that parents/carers spend time playing with their children,It is fun,let the children set the pace and you let yourself become part of their world just for a little while..There is no need for you to teach or preach just enjoy the experience.
Types of Play
Motor Skills…
Motor play provides important opportunities for children to develop both individual gross and fine muscle strength and an overall integration of muscles,nerves and brain functions.In recent research it is said to confirm that their is a critical link between stimulating activity and brain development. It is said that young children must have as much opportunity as possible to develop physically,and motor play instils this disposition towards physical activity in young children…Below are some forms of large and small/fine motor skills that children can do.
Large motor skills..Running,jumping,climbing,balancing,riding,crawling,pedal/
steering a bike,throwing/catching running .
Small/Fine motor skill..
Passing toys from hand to hand,turn taps on and off,picking up small objects using finger and thumb,turning pages without turning,holding pencils the right way for drawing,build tower of bricks,pouring liquid without spilling,cutting out shapes and threading beads,managing two handed activities,uses keyboard and mouse on computer/phones/laptop etc.
Social Play…
There are a variety of ways for children to engage in social play,it is said it maybe one of the best mechanisms for a child to progress through the different social stages.By interacting with others in play settings, children learn social rules such as ,give and take,reciprocity,cooperation,and sharing. Through a range of interactions with children at different social stages,children are also said to learn to use moral reasoning to develop a mature sense of values.
Constructive Play…
Constructive play is when children use their environment to create things. This type of play occurs when children build towers and cities with play bricks and blocks,or they play in sand,draw etc.
Constructive play allows children to experiment with objects ,finds out what combinations that do and don’t work.It helps them to learn basic knowledge about stacking,building,drawing,making music,and constructing. It also gives children a sense of accomplishment and it empowers them with control of their environment. Children who are comfortable manipulating objects and materials may also become good at manipulating words,ideas and concepts..
Fantasy Play…
Children learn to abstract ,to try out new roles and possible situations,and to experiment with language and emotions with fantasy play. Also,children develop flexible thinking,they learn to create beyond the here and now.it can stretch their imagination,use new words,and word combinations in a risk free environment,and use numbers and words to express ideas,concepts,etc.In an ever more tecky society lots of forms of abstraction,time ,place,amount,symbols,words and ideas -are essential…
Games with rules…
Developmentally,most children progress from an egocentric view of the world to an understanding of the importance of social contracts and rules. Part of this development occurs as they learn through playing games such as ‘Follow the leader,’Simon says’football etc.. can not function without everyone adhering to the same set of rules. The ”games with rules’concept teaches children an important concept that ‘The game of life has rules'(laws).That we must try and follow to function productive.
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somersdaye 