Importance Of Playfulness And Imagination

The practitioner in an early years setting supporting children’s play learning and development is extremely important, as play helps stimulate the child’s brain, supports their needs on an educational level, as well as helping them with social difficulties such as building relationships, developing them and helping them gain confidence. Many people believe that a child learns best when they are motivated, such as Fredrich Froebel. He believed that children benefitted from all types of play. The McMillan sisters believed that outdoor play was extra important as they studied children who played and slept outside and discovered that they were the happier and healthier children in comparison to those who only played inside.

1.3 Critically analyze how creativity and creative learning can support young children’s emotional, social, intellectual, communication and physical development

“Play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. Children and young people determine and control the content and intent of their play by following their instincts, ideas and interests in their own way and for their own reasons. The child chooses when and how to play and this is seen as a biological drive, essential to health and well-being.”

They may feel disoriented, unsettled and even anxious if they cannot finish a game or fantasy play. Reich& Zaurta (2010) suggested children use different coping mechanisms to reduce their anxiety. Some showing challenging behaviour when others may carry on playing and ignore the instructions they have been given. However, in order to help these children, practitioners must understand the children’s point of view and to know children use those coping behaviour because they are unable to tolerate their emotions, therefore, practitioners should help the children to manage their emotions in order to be more cooperative with transitions.

As a practitioner, we need to acknowledge how important play and leisure activities can be one of the cruel factor of a child’s development; Throughout my experience I have witnessed play to be extremely important to children’s and young people’s wellbeing and development.

1.3 Critically analyze how creativity and creative learning can support young children’s emotional, social, intellectual, communication and physical development

If a child has a feeling of control in them and their lives then there confidence and self esteem will be lifted and this will help their behaviour. If a child is given the chance to make their own decisions they will feel important and in charge helping how they act. “Play should empower children, affirm and support their right to make choices, discover their own solutions, to play and develop at their own pace and in their own way.”

Cerangolu (2010) found that video games could enhance the therapeutic experience. They could help facilitate the therapeutic relationship as young people may be more willing to relate to a therapist that is ready to engage and understand their normal way of playing. Also sitting side by side rather than at the conventional “ten to two” setting also may make the young person relax. How the game is played can also reveal the young person cognitive style.

Children develop normally when they are exposed to different types of play that allow them to express themselves while using their imaginations and being physically active. According to the Center for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness, “Play is child’s work”; this is true because it is a child’s job is to learn and develop in their first few years of life, in order for them to do this, they play (CHETNA). Not only is playing a child’s full time job, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights listed play as a right of every child (Ginsburg). Through their full time job of play, the children develop emotionally, socially, physically, and creatively. Children need to participate in child-led play in order to

Play is a fundamental element to a child’s well-being and happiness. Evidence has shown that play contributes to a child’s health and future life chances. Without play or having restricted play it can negativity impact a child’s physical and mental health which can then lead to things such as obesity, rickets and attention deficit disorder.

There are people who think that creative play is better for children and there are people who think that organized activities are better. I don't exactly know if one is better than the other, but I think that organized activities are better. Creative play seems great but it doesn't seem like it improves the way children think as much as organized activities do. Organized activities gives children the knowledge on how to be more like an adult.

Play is such a vital process through which children learn and develop.Play gives children the opportunity to learn, develop and experiment outside the constraints of real life. Through play children gain skills, knowledge and experiences and they get prepared to stand up as a human being and a member of society. But only by playing children do not reach up to that level. At some point of time the adult intervention is required to get the right direction of play.

In addition to play promoting pleasure as well as physical activity, play forms the holistic growth in children’s development, or to put it in another way using Brown (2003) acronym, acknowledged as ‘SPICE’; play represents the ‘social interaction’; ‘physical activity’; ‘intellectual stimulation’; creative achievement and emotional stability, (with the addition of “compound flexibility”) in a child’s development. Compound flexibility is the idea that a child’s psychological development occurs using the relationship between his/her environment with the adaptability of the child himself. Thus the flexibility of surroundings and his/her adaptableness can provide children the means to explore; experiment and investigate (Brown, 2003, pp. 53-4). On the contrary, the absence of social interaction and physical activity through the means of play can inhibit children’s overall development and without the consistency of play children suffer a “chronic lack of sensory interaction with the world, [which leads to] a form of sensory deprivation” (Hughes, 2001, p.217 in Lester and Maudsley 2006).

Play is an important part of children’s life that keeps them healthy both physically and mentally. It is a way through which children explore their imagination, build various skills required for their development in different areas. In this essay, importance of play in children’s learning and development is discussed in relation to Piaget’s cognitive theory, Vygotsky socio-cultural theory and Te Whaariki. Moreover, the teacher’s role and strategies used in encouraging the play-based curriculum in early childhood education are also discussed.

Whenever children are involved within creative play, this is where they will create the rules rather than adults. Not only are the children free to use their imaginations, make up their own stories, act out scenes or invent a new game, but this unstructured, self-directed play encourages a child’s mental development and allows a child to express his emotions. “Today’s Parent” has stated that, children need at least 45 minutes of creative play each day, so due to this an setting or environment that encourages them to use their imaginations must be created for them.