Playing with Children: An Introduction
Today, I had a first experience with nature play in the outdoor area during which children engaged in developing nature potions using water, leaves and flowers. This free play encouraged creativity, socialization and exploration of senses. I saw the risk-taking, negotiation, and problem solving part when it comes to child-led play. I recorded some play episodes which I end up using when planning.
Typical Playtime Activities
I involve the children in role-playing games that are carried out in different situations, such as their running a cafe, being animals, or the family roles. I also involve props such as costumes, dolls or play kitchens to enhance reality in the play as well as fun (Vygotsky, 1978).
Objective: This practice will make the children become better socialisers, compassionate, and creative. It also enhances their verbal power because we interchange and speak on various roles whenever we play.
Reflection: As an example, when we were playing a game of running a cafe I insisted that each child took turns playing the role of the cook, the waiter, and the customer. It was a wonderful experience to them to exercise the polite language and social interactions (Vygotsky, 1978).
Fostering Creativity and Learning
I offer them an open ended play, like blocks, art material, cloth and natural items. Such objects may be created in various ways and this depends on the imagination of the children.
Objective: Self-expression through creativity occurs as open-ended play involves children in choosing how they use the materials and encourages problems solving techniques and self-expression.
Reflection: I noted when I presented a set of building blocks to them, they created different types of creations; towers, animals, etc. They took pride in their creative buildings and by throwing questions such as, “What more can you add to it to make it bigger?”, I motivated them to create more of it.
I schedule art routines that challenge the children to embrace various kinds of mediums (paint, clay, markers and natural materials). I coach them to provide whatever comes to their minds and I also make them know the fundamental methods i.e. of applying colors, shapes, and textures etc.
Objective: Arts are used to develop creativity, fine motor and emotional outlet. Art can be used by children to express their feelings and thoughts, and they get better at developing confidence in what they create.
Reflection: At one of the painting activities, I advised the children to play around with colors and shapes. A child adopted colors to make a landscape and I commended her creativity as well as enquired about what she saw behind her choice of colors. It also assisted her to gain confidence in her form of artistic expression.
Making Playtime Meaningful
If you could give one piece of advice to someone about making playtime more meaningful, what would it be?
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