Play

What is play?

Play is a positive, enjoyable, individual or shared experience for a person. It is healthy and an essential part of life. In education it is usually an experience freely chosen and led by the person(s) engaging in it; strongly influenced by imagination, personal experiences and individual personality and temperament.

Play In Early Education

"From an early age, play is important to a child's development and learning. It isn't just physical. It can involve cognitive, imaginative, creative, emotional and social aspects. It is the main way most children express their impulse to explore, experiment and understand. Children of all ages play." Dobson F (2004, page 8).

5 days a week children sit in a classroom, listen to a teacher talk to them about what they apparently need to know. Children have to learn according to a national curriculum, (what education believes children need to/should know at a certain age). Whereas most of the time they leave that classroom at the end of the day thinking… “what have I learnt today?” If structured classroom teaching was so successful, wouldn’t the answer to the question parents ask their children after school, “How was school?” be a more elaborate response as opposed to, “Yeah it was okay”. I believe children need to be motivated within their school setting, be able to explore and discover education in a way they can enjoy. A way they find easiest but at the same time will challenge their development. That suits their individual learning styles, and enables them to discover who they are and how they learn best for themselves. So children will leave their place of learning with a good, new, inspired feeling which they’ll want to share and will encourage them to look forward to the next day. This can all be achieved through Play; A supported but not directed positive way of learning.

Theoretical Views Supporting Play

There are many different theoretical views within education on play. Theorists such as Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori, [See Previous Post on the Montessori method for information on Maria Montessori, play and freedom of choice.], Tina Bruce, etc. support this approach to learning within early childhood education.

Tina Bruce, portrays play as an important process of children’s understanding of own potential and discovery of individual ability, She states:
 

“We can say that free-flow play seems to be concerned with the ability and opportunity to wallow in ideas, experiences, feelings and relationships. It is also about the way children come to use the competencies they have developed. It is the way children integrate all their learning.” Bruce T (1991, page 42).

Reference List:

• Bruce T (1991), (Page 42), Time to Play in Early Childhood, London: Hodder Stoughton

• Dobson F (2004), (page 8), Getting Serious About Play, London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport.