Imagination At The State Library Of Queensland

I have also seen in the center many sections for children to play, for example dramatic section, Block center, Science, sensory, art, quiet area, math area, writing and listening area.

Finally, I work hard to create an indoor and outdoor environment that enriches, challenges, and encourages children to develop interests, connect with each other, have alone time, and learn through play. I accomplish this goal by continually assessing my play materials, adding new things, gauging my children’s interests and needs, and adjusting my environment accordingly.

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.

The soft furnishing in the cozy area must allow a child to completely escape the hardness of the typical early childhood classroom. A cozy area should be away from active play equipment and have protection from active children through its placement in the room. If active play is present, staff must redirect the active play to another area.

Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, exploration and play. They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology.

“Current theories about inclusive play revolve around the idea that play is important for life and that all play workers should be committed to creating play environments that are inclusive and that offer multi-sensory experiences for all children. Play environments should ensure children and young people can become involved in imaginary play and can help develop motor activity. They should also allow interaction in a safe environment. Play is seen as the language that can bring children of all different abilities together. All children and young people have the same basic needs and go through the same development stages, even though they may not all go through them at the same pace: some go through some stages more quickly than most, while others may become static in their development for a while. None of this should prevent access to any setting. Through play with other children they develop social skills and learn about behaviour, communication and friendship. Play is the tool for practical learning

A creative environment needs to allow children easy access to different materials and be able to move these from one place to another. It is not just about

Furniture and equipment should be flexible and open-ended. It should be easy to rearrange the room to respond to children’s needs and interests. Movable platforms, risers, large hollow blocks, movable tables, boxes, large pieces of fabric, clothespins, and other open-ended materials give children opportunities to arrange spaces to suit their needs. They enhance children’s imaginative play; provide opportunities for

We know that a rich and varied environment supports children’s learning and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe, yet challenging, indoor and outdoor spaces.

Play provides a safe place for children to learn, with no feelings of failure. I noticed the play learning environment structures the environment by providing several activities a child can choose from. Providing choices allows the child to stay with an activity to improve on their skills, and master the play experience with minimal frustration (Hemphill et al, 2014). Children need to build on their resilience, and have the confidence to try again. Children consider risks in their choices where they are able to develop autonomy, interdependence, and a sense of self.

When learning becomes fun the teachers find it less challenging for trying to keep the child engaged in the activity at hand. The job of the educator working with a play-based curriculum is to facilitate play, to draw out and extend what children learn through play (Play Based Programmes, 2015). Children have a variety of play spaces available that mimic their regular world around them, each space can be intertwined with another centre such as combining the truck centre with the block centre, or adding in some zoo animals to the area. The play based approach can be used by children of all abilities, it allows children to play independently or as a small group, and allows the children the opportunity to bring their home life into their play.

Another indoor environment that supports children’s learning and agency is having a craft area set up with different colors and materials and resources giving the children choice and decisions and variety and giving them independence. The area will provide scissors, glue, paper, cardboard, feathers, buttons, beads, and plenty more sensory items. This area will be well organized so that children can select the particular resources and activites that they would like to involve themselves in, once again giving the child agency. This is sending the message to the children that we trust them with their decision and the materials they may chose and when they choose them. Trust is something educators and children need to build with each other in

Play is inevitable when it comes to children. Given the right environment and objects (of any sort), children will find a way to play. Jarvis, et al state that educators must offer inspiring, playful environments which include hands-on activities and interesting resources. This will empower children to educate themselves (2009). Along the same line, Wood and Attfield consider that an environment inclusive of varied resources will provide room for growth in their learning and will support the child’s “creativity, inventiveness and originally” (2005, p.231).

"But for many reasons, children have fewer and fewer opportunities to play. So, it's important that teachers consciously support children's play by providing adequate time, space, and interesting materials, like those that can be collected and stored in a prop box."

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.