FOSTERING CREATIVITY IN PLAY Purposes of Play Physical

FOSTERING CREATIVITY IN PLAY

Purposes of Play � � � Physical development Outdoor play connects typical and atypical children to nature and their environment Cognitive skills – Piaget & Vygotsky believed that imaginative play is one of the purest form of symbolic thought Language development Dramatic play Games with rules

� � � Expression of feelings Independence Divergent thinking

Piaget’s Stages of Play � � Functional Play (0 -2) – the child engages in repetitive activities Constructive Play (2 -4) – learning to use simple materials to satisfy a purpose Dramatic Play (4 -7) – assigning roles and taking upon the roles Games with Rules (7 -11) – understanding rules and learn how to cooperate

Parten’s Stages of Play � 1. Unoccupied behavior – during infancy, a child occupies himself by watching anything of momentary interest

� 2. Onlooker play – young toddlers focus on the activity rather than the environment

� 3. Solitary play (toddlers) – the child plays alone without the regard to what other children are doing

4. Parallel play (ages 2 -3) – a child sitting next to another child, playing with the same toys, but in a different way. It is the early stage of peer interaction, but the focus is on the object rather than another child

5. Associative play (ages 3 -4)- a child goes in and out of the play with other children, uses same toys and participates in the same activity, but in his own way

6. Cooperative play (ages 4 and up) – group play that involves organized ideas, assigned roles, taking turns, making friends, organizing games and activities

Factors Likely to Facilitate Creative Play Teacher-Directed Play � Child-Initiated Play with teacher support � Teacher intervention in play Practical ways to stimulate and extend play � Ask questions � Make suggestions � Provide plenty of time for play � Use language to Enrich play � Make a special point of including children who have disabilities �

Cast yourself in the role of assistant to the child as you help play emerge � � � Move with the child’s play – sense what will enhance the play and offer suggestions Put yourself in the position of the child Put children in command of play

� � � A rich background of actual life experience is fundamental to developing creative play – fieldtrips, experiences with many ethnic groups, books and visitors will enrich their imagination Offer many opportunities for outdoor play Equipment plays an important role in facilitating play – include open-ended materials that can be used in a variety ways (boards, blocks, ladders) Rotate the materials frequently and rearrange them in a appealing and complex ways Store materials in convenient, easy-to-reach places

Specific Activities to Encourage Creativity in Play Creative dramatic play – add variations Importance of Block play: � Emergent perceptual-motor skills – stacking, reaching, grasping, lifting, carrying, balancing � Emotionally satisfying block play – help children feel strong and masterful and creative � Visual-spatial relationships � Cognitive development �

� � � Water play Mud and sand Computer and digital screen play