Free Unstructured Play : Using Sidewalk Chalk

As an early years practitioner you will recognise that children’s play is closely linked to their learning and development. Children learn in so many different ways but you will notice that they learn mainly through play. When children are able to do many different activity’s that allows them to lean but have fun at the same time thy will find what they are doing fun and will engage the children. It is important that when in you your setting you set up a variety of educational activity’s this way the children will be able to choose freely what they want to do.

Categories of Play Kerri engaged in play and exploratory/sensorimotor play and relational/functional throughout the video. Examples of exploratory/sensorimotor play included shaking and banging of a hair brush. Relational/functional play examples included appropriately stacking rings, use of a baby bottle directed toward self and adult, functionally stacking cups, engaging appropriately in a farm pop-up game, pushing buttons on a phone and putting the phone up to her ear, and functionally putting rings into according slots. Overall, relational/functional play was displayed more during the session. Attention Span Kerri was occupied the most with the rings and slot game.

A play cycle begins in the pre conscious thoughts of the child, it is at the point of daydream where the playful impulse is created and given out as the play cue. Once this cue is taken up by a responding partner the play cycle begins. The metalude signals the start of the play process and while it supports a single play thought in the Childs consciousness it can change in seconds to become another playful thoughts or an extended version of its original self. The play cue can be given out in many ways, facial expressions, eyes contact, body language or simply through using materials I.e. a ball or a colouring pencil.

Play is the way children learn and is a word that is used to describe the different activities behaviours that children participate in, this would concur with “Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist theory that suggests that play promotes both mental and social development for children” (cited in Goulding, 2016, p16). Early childhood educators such as Froebel and Vygotsky have always promoted the importance of the outdoor learning environment. According to Vygotsky (1978), children learn through interacting with the environment and through social interaction with others. Social constructivist theory, believes play is important for the growth of a child’s cognitive emotional and social development and

This is an important issue due to the parents’ motivation in raising children as well as the enormous care. Parents feel the sense of responsibility towards their children’s better health and development therefore want the best possible care for them. One method of child’s development is unstructured play which allows them to freely play how he or she wants. Play differs in its meaning across time and culture so it does not have a sense of partiality (Cohen, 2006). The allowance of children to play for their improvement is that genuine that it is regarded an ideal for each children in the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (Ginsburg, 2007). The relationship between unstructured play and the development and wellbeing of a child

Play is satisfying to the child, creative for the child and freely chosen by the child.

Freely chosen play is where children are able to choose what they want to do

This assignment is all about play and learning for children and young people. Play is engaging in an activity for enjoyment and pleasure however can also be used for learning purposes and development in children and young people. Play activities can be planned by practitioners within the setting or can be free-play, when a child goes off and plays by themselves. Play can be carried out individually or in groups and can also be carried out in different environments such as indoors and outdoors. ‘Research confirms the importance of play for infants in developing children’s brains and minds.’ (http://playtherapy.org.uk/ChildrensEmotionalWellBeing/AboutPlayTherapy/MainPrinciples/PlayDefinition) this is why practitioners encourage young children

While some children were playing “house” others were taking part in constructive play. In this stage, toddlers have a deep understanding of what various objects can do and will now try to build things with the toys and everyday objects they find around them. One child had a box of blocks and was building a train track. Once he finished he assembled a line of trains to ride along the track he had just built. He repeatedly made noises that trains usually make such as “choo-choo.” Other children were interlocking Lego blocks and creating various structures while some were playing with play-dough and sculpting

Socio-dramatic play- children act out real or potential experiences based on situations they see in their lives. For example drama, role play, puppets.

Play is usually a natural activity in early childhood and has significant importance in early childhood special education. Play assists in enhancing the children social competence, creativity, language development, and their thinking skills. Play is usually the key vehicle for the developing of language, social skulls in young children (Rogers ET all. 2009). Moreover, it serves as a functional behavior which contributes to the life quality of the children. .

Everything a child learns is learned through play. It is essential to a child's development. Playing is experiencing and it is through experience that children learn.

As they children are playing in the block play area they are able to develop in their social developmental domain as they learn to communicate with each other as they take turns with the blocks and other materials. The children will learn how to play in different types of play, such as solitary, parallel, cooperative, and associative play. As they are building the children can ask questions, and have discussions with their peers or with an educator. The children will learn how to respect the property of the block play area, and other children’s space as they are building.

Defining play can be very difficult. The term play can be used to illustrate a wide range of behaviors and activities, and can be perceived as both essential and insignificant to the child at the same time. Santrock (2012, p.437) suggests a definition of play as "a pleasurable activity that is engaged in for its own sake." However, this is argued by Kernan (2007, p.5) who states that none of the potential definitions are broad enough to encompass all of the meanings associated with play. Despite the lack of such universal definition, Rennie (2003, p.22) claims, that "we can recognize play across barriers of language, of culture, even of species", which conveys its importance in the life and development of children, as it is

Young children love to explore learning through different kinds of play! Play activity is one of the active learning techniques. For example, peer play improves preschoolers’ language, social, gross motor and cognitive skills. Children grow and develop better through verbal communication and physical performance. Social