Forms of Play
Depending on mood, development, situation, and personal preference, individual children play in different ways. Parallel play, or children playing side by side without interaction, is the usual pattern employed by 2- or 3-year-olds. While a passing adult may think the two aren't playing together at all, separating the children might cause them to be very upset, notes Singer.
Periods of solitary play are important to every child. Singer notes that parents should be aware that a balance of social and solitary play is good for most children. If, however, a child only plays on his own, it could signal a problem. "All children benefit from the social learning of sharing and cooperating with other children during play," she says.
Group play is most appropriate for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds. Developmentally, they are ready for nursery or preschool, since they are talking, using the potty, and able to wait in line, sit in a circle, and share with other children.
How Can Parents Help Kids Play?
Providing a safe, clear space for kids is the best way to encourage them to play, says Loeb. "A million toys aren't necessary," she adds. Expert suggestions for encouraging play include:
- Make the play area the child's domain. Childproof the area to allow maximum exploration without restrictions. Store building blocks or little cars in shoeboxes on a shelf at the child's height for easy access and cleanup.
- Rotate toys to keep children from getting bored with the selection, and avoid toys that do a child's imaginary work for him. Scaled-down adult objects are often the best toys for kids. Small hammers, screwdrivers, pots, pans, or telephones intrigue toddlers because they are "just like Mom's and Dad's." Building blocks allow a child to build anything he chooses. By providing a variety of playthings, you can help your child vary his play from simple to complex.
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Play with your children, especially during their early years. "Create a playful atmosphere," says Singer. "When you take a child to school, count the trucks that pass by. Or when you're dressing, name how many colors you can see." By responding to your child's play with encouragement, you will help him take pride in his play and motivate him to play more.
- Avoid overstimulating children, particularly babies. Babies will signal when they've had enough stimulation by crying or looking away. Also, be sure to choose playthings according to your child's age and abilities. Your child will feel helpless rather than challenged if you provide toys designed for an older and bigger child.
- Value your child's play. Adults often say, "I like the way you're working," but not, "I like the way you play."
Solitary Play
Solitary Play is mainly initiated by those the individual. The first form of solitary play is if the child is not able to be friends with people in a group because they are not accepted. This maybe due to the individuals performance in other games and activities. The individual will then distance themselves from the group and may voice their disapproval to the rejection (Brown cited in Moyles 1995). Although this may only last for a short time, the distancing from the group allows the individual to reject the low status placed on the child by others. Another form of solitary play is when the child has been accepted into the group and others want to play a game that the individual has no experience of or if the others in the group have no experience of the game suggested or do not want to play (Beardsley 1998). This leads to the exclusion of an individual if a compromise is not reached.
Structured Play.
This term was first used by Manning and Sharp (1977) and described Play that was instigated by the teacher (Beardsley 1998). This intervention by the adult may help the younger individuals to learn rules or allow the children to develop their own (Beardsley 1998). The adult involved could also keep the children motivated so keeping the play going (Kitson cited from Moyles 1995). Children can also structure their own Play by acting out their own ideas (Beardsley 1998). This can however lead to problems as shown in the example below.
"Mark has chosen to play in the shop in his reception class. He gets a large black bag and shovels in money from the till, the till itself and various goods on sale. His teacher notices this and asks him what he is doing. Mark replies, 'I'm the robber, I'm robbing the shop'. His teacher explains that if he does this other children will not be able to play there and he rather grudgingly returns everything to its place"
cited from Beardsley (1998)
The adult is then left in the dilemma of whether to intervene. If the adult does, are they disrupting the child's personal development and helping their social development but if the adult does not, the child's social development would surely be hampered as they would think this behaviour is acceptable (Beardsley 1998).
Creative Play
Prentice cited in Moyles (1995) talks about the link between external real objects and internal feelings that art connects. The chosen medium that is used to crate the art is the external object and the inner feelings are portrayed in the art (Prentice cited in Moyles 1995) This allows the child to look at their feelings and ideas in a way that is fun whilst doing something that they enjoy.
Imaginative Play
Through the use of the child's imagination anywhere such as a room or street can become a mystical and magical place that can be transformed into many different settings just by altering the game slightly. Beardsley (1998) comments that they have their own "imaginative agenda's". Sometimes these so called use of imagination are a repetition or imitation of everyday life (Beardsley 1998). Piaget (1962) cited in Beardsley (1998) calls it
In the past, some in the early childhood field have suggested that children who play alone are maladjusted. However, recent research suggests that solitary play is an important activity for young children. A paper published in Early Child Development and Care suggests solitary play in preschool settings should be viewed more positively, and recommends teachers receive training to tell the difference between healthy, productive solo play and the problems of social withdrawal.
The authors contend that when a child plays by him or herself, it should be viewed as an activity separate - and not instead of - social play with other children. The skills a child develops when playing alone may help determine whether they are able to constructively spend time alone as they get older. In addition, the researchers assert that solo play time for children can foster creativity, improve concentration, and decrease self-consciousness.
While promoting the encouragement of solo play for young children, it is important to note that the authors draw a crucial distinction between healthy and unhealthy forms of solo play. Children who actively avoid social play, display clear dislike for interaction with their peers, are isolated from other children, or play alone due to depression may be showing signs of social withdrawal.
In play, children expand their understanding of themselves and others, their knowledge of the physical world, and their ability to communicate with peers and adults. This digest discusses children's play and its relationship to developmental growth from infancy to middle childhood. The digest also suggests ways in which educators and other adults can support children's play.
Play fosters children's development intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically and creatively. When children explore their surroundings through play, they help maintain an optimum level of arousal to their central nervous system. Environments lacking proper stimuli create boredom within the individual, whereas too much stimulation from the environment creates uncertainty and chaos. When children engage in play, they feel a certain amount of pleasure - in other words, it is said to be intrinsically motivated.
As children develop, the way in which they use materials changes from functional to constructive, then on to dramatic, and finally games with rules.
Functional play occurs when the child uses the materials in simple, repetitive, and exploratory ways. During constructive play children use materials to achieve a specific goal. When children pretend with items, they are engaged in dramatic play.
While children are engaged in solitary, parallel, associative or cooperative play,
various social interactions occur. Younger children most often engage in solitary play, however older children may prefer to play alone for brief periods of time to develop their own thinking and ideas. Parallel play involves children playing beside each other, but not necessarily with one another. Associative play involves common materials being shared among children. When children plan, assign roles and play together it is referred to as cooperative play.
In order for children to receive optimum learning and developmental opportunities through play, much thought must be given to how these experiences will be structured. Observing the child's current stages of development and assessing his/her needs is the first priority. Functioning levels are then evaluated in order to establish appropriate objectives for the specific child. Adequate materials, equipment, time, and space must be provided and rules established. The effective assistant must know when it is appropriate to observe, participate, initiate, imitate or intervene in the autistic child's experiences.
Implications
Low-functioning non-verbal autistic children spend much of their time engaged in solitary play, and may even adjust their body posture to exclude others from
their personal space. When autistic children play, they may occasionally
request help from an adult to complete a task, however they show no interest in socially interacting with them. They seldom imitate the actions of others, or engage in spontaneous or functional play. When given an object, much of their play will be repetitive with intense fixations on one small part of the object, rather than exploring the relationship between cause and effect. If autistic children are left alone to play, repetitive self-stimulating actions will increase. Because these children enjoy patterns of movement, their attention may be held for longer periods of time while playing with dirt, water or spinning objects. Although it is a constant challenge, these children may be drawn out of their isolation by presenting them a mix of repeated play experiences and novel ideas. During play experiences, the assistant must take full advantage of the short time
while the child is focused, and intervene in order to extend play beyond a fleeting notion. Due to these brief learning experiences, autistic children take
longer than other children to progress through the stages of development.
Suggestions of activities for non verbal autistic children:
- Maintain close proximity to child (2-4 ft.) to help keep them focused
- Provide toys which usually interest babies and toddlers
- Display materials in low open shelving, group according to play categories
- Place all the items for one activity in a workbasket, place it on the table beside
the child, then have the child place the completed task in the basket (This
indicates a definite start and finish to each task)
- Use white glue to outline simple lined drawings, and allow it to dry - this will
provide a raised edge for the child to color within borders
- Provide construction sets which are easily put together, assist the child in holding
the item while putting it together. Later on encourage bilateral grasp at the
midline
- Use two adults (one behind and one to guide his hands) to assist the child to catch
and throw a ball. Use a large soft ball, as it is easier than a smaller one.
- Games of hide and seek can be engaged in (using two adults - one to cover the
child's eyes and take him out of the room and one to hide the object) if the child
has come to realize that objects exist even though they are hidden. The assistants
must help the child search for the favorite item and searches must be very brief.
- Include these children in very simple games with peers for very brief periods of
time during outside play or gym times.
- Walk along gym lines to assist in establishing boundaries
- During walks, lightly hold the child's forearm and walk between the child and
opened doorways.
- Invite a peer to come and participate in a short simple activity with the child such
as taking turns at placing pieces in a wooden puzzle. The assistant must be close
to initiate play and negotiate turn taking.
- When attempting to teach tasks involving wooden inlay puzzles, tape all the pieces
in with the exception of one, then gradually leave more out as the child becomes
more proficient.
- When attempting to teach fine motor tasks such as the use of a primary pencil,
draw 2 dark parallel lines approximately 2" apart on a long strip of paper
to indicate boundaries. Have the child trace over pre-drawn wave or zig-zag
lines.
- Secure coloring page to desktop by taping it along the corners
- While teaching cutting skills, simplify task by having the child snip through 1"
wide strips of manilla paper (construction paper slides)
ACTIVITIES FOR LOW FUNCTIONING NON-SPEAKING AUTISTIC CHILD
(Developmental age -18-24 months/Chronological Age - 7 years)
Balls (Kick, Roll, Catch, Throw, Bounce)
Barrel of Monkeys
Beanbag Toss
Bike Riding
Bingo Markers
Blocks (Colored, Wooden Alphabet, Unit Blocks)
Blowing (Cotton Balls, Feathers, Pinwheel, Cardboard Rolls)
Body Awareness
Books (Cassette Stories/Books, Electronic, Picture Books, Pop Up)
Bottles (Screw Lids)
Boxes
Buckles
Bus and People (push)
Buttons
Cards (Deck)
Cars
Chalk/Chalkboard
Clay (Air Dry Molding Clay/ roll, squeeze, pat)
Climbing (Playground/Stairs/Jungle Gym/Large Waffle Blocks)
Cloth Toys
Clothes (practise putting on outside clothes, socks, shoes)
Coloring (Large Wax Crayons/Markers on large outlined picture)
Computer
Crawling
Cutting (Child size scissors, 1" wide manilla strips)
Doll Play
Drawing (primary pencil)
Duplo
Felts/Feltboard
Large Play Centres
Flashlight
Folding (Envelopes/Paper)
Gluing
Gravel (Colored Aquarium rocks/small sandbox shovel/
small containers)
Gym (Running, Simple games with peers, walking along lines)
Hairbrushing
Hole Punch
Hula Hoops
Jewellery
Jumping
Keys
Lacing (Cardboard Shapes/Shoe laces)
Lego
Links
Lite Brite
Magnetic Letters
Magnets
Magnifying Glass
Marbles
Mat Play
Mega Blocks
Mr. Potato Head
Musical Toys (ball, phone, shakers, sticks, xylophone, tamborine)
Nesting Cubes/cups
Obstacle Course
Painting (brushes,finger, marbles, sponge)
Paper (tearing/wadding)
Pegboards
Playdough
Popbeads
Pounding
Pull Toys
Puppets
Puzzles (Foam, wooden, large piece)
Running
Sand/Rocks
Sanding Wood
Scarves
Scooter
See and Say
Sensory Box
Sewing Card
Shape Desrimination Ball
Silly Putty
Skipping Rope Pull
Slide
Snaps
Snap Rings
Snap Teddies
Songs (Action,Fingerplays,Listening Center)
Sorting (Color, Object Function, Shape, Size, Sounds)
Stamps/Stamp Pad
Stickers
Straws
Stringing
Sweeping
Swings
Tongs
Tweezers
Twist and Turn
Velco Strips
Video
Viewers (Kaliedoscope)
Waffle Blocks
Water play (Bubbles, Pouring into containers, sponges, toys, dishes)
Weaving
Wind Up Toys
Wire Tracking Boards
Zippers