Play: Its Styles

and Stages
Presented by: Christy O. Rasgo LPT
RN,MAED,MAN
 Topic Outline
A Styles of Play: Structured vs Unstructured

B Stages of Play
Imaginative
Construction
Creative
Physical
C Comparison: Stages of Play
Unoccupied
Solitary/Independent
Spectator/Onlooker
Parallel
Associative
Co-operative
 Introduction
“Play is the work of the child.”
 Structured Play
vs
Unstructured Play
Both are vital for a child’s wellbeing,
learning and growth.
What is Structured Play?
"Goal-oriented Play"
Playing with a purpose
Involves using logic to solve problems
Involves following rules or instructions to
reach a particular goal.
Gain skills, such as sharing, turn taking,
or counting to three.
Tends to be led by a parent, teacher, or
childminder
Examples include:
Throwing and catching (to
develop motor skills)
Simon says (learning how to
follow instructions)
Card games or Board games
(improving turn-taking skills)
Outdoor games or Organized
sports like tag or soccer
Assembling a toy or lego set
 Four Integral Benefits of
Structured Play
1. Setting and Achieving Goals
Along the way, they learn how to deal with challenges that
arise and how to efficiently work toward a goal.

2. Problem Solving
Structured play actively engages kids to work
toward viable solutions that help them achieve a
goal.
3. Active Listening
They will gradually learn that listening and paying attention
to directions are the keys to a successful outcome.

4. Low Stress
These activities establish clear outcomes, and
having an end goal in mind can help prevent a
child from becoming overwhelmed or stressed
out by trying to figure out how to engage in
open-ended play.
 Other Benefits:
What else can it do?

Introducing your child to new things.

Building strength, balance, and coordination.
Teaching skills.
Teaching language, including vocabulary, grammar,
following directions, and sequencing.
Promoting social and emotional skills like turn-taking,
setting and respecting boundaries, and self-regulation.
What is Unstructured Play?
"Free Play"
Open-ended, creative and
improvised with no set goals and
unlimited possibilites

Allows children to creatively engage

with each other and the world
around them.
Also defined as:
A child not engaged in play.
“Infancy” of play.
Baby or toddler creatively moves their body
with no purpose other than it feels good
and interesting.
Most basic type of play: Your child is
completely free to think, move, and
imagine.
“Free Play” is described by the
charity Play England as:

Children choosing what they want to do, how

they want to do it and when to stop and try
something else.
No external goals set by adults and has no adult
imposed curriculum.
The child takes the lead and the adults respond to
cues from the child.
 Examples include:
Time spent running around a
playground, make-believe games
such as dress up
Playing with blocks
Colouring, drawing or painting on
blank paper
Inventing games to play

When it comes to Free Play, the

concept of choice is crucial.
 Four Integral Benefits of
Unstructured Play
1. Exploration
Allows children the opportunity to engage with the world
around them. They can explore things that interest them and
discover more about how the world works.

2. Freedom to Make Mistakes

It provides children with the space they need to
make and correct mistakes in a low-stakes
environment.
3. Socialization
It enables them to practice their social skills.
They learn how to engage with others, form relationships and
work together to solve problems and overcome challenges.
They also have the opportunity to practice empathy as they
interact with their peers.

4. Confidence
They learn how to express their thoughts and
feelings when they are in a safe space, such as their
own room or backyard.
They develop the ability to think quickly and process
their feelings as they explore the world around
them.
 5. Physical
Exercise
It’s a great source of gentle exercise
which helps to build their physical
strength and stamina.
Able to cope with the physical
demands of school.
Good physical health and wellbeing
will help children to cope better
overall in the classroom
environment.
Child-led free play has other benefits,
including helping your little one:

Take creative risks. Free to experiment and try

different things.
Cognitive Development through problem-solving.
Important in learning becoming well-rounded adults.
Better able to cope with “down time” as they
become older.
More refreshed and ready to move on and re-
engage during more structured lesson times.
Child-led free play has other benefits,
including helping your little one:

Develop a sense of agency. Children are

in control, which helps them develop
independence and self-reliance.
 More Benefits:
Navigate social interaction. Gives him opportunities to observe, respond, and
adapt in ever-changing social situations.
Social skills such as sharing, negotiation and
turn taking can be developed.
Develop a sense of who they are and to value
the thoughts and feelings of others.
Helps them to maintain emotional balance and
sound mental health and well-being.
Free Play Enhances a Child’s Language and Understanding of Cultures.
Express themselves and make themselves understood,
Free Play Reinforces Classroom Learning.
Children are in control, which helps them develop
independence and self-reliance.
Use their creativity while developing their
imagination, dexterity, cognitive and physical
abilities
Practice and process much of the information
that they have learned.

Free Play Allows a Child to be Happy, and Their

Teachers Too! Children are in control, which
helps them develop independence and self-
reliance.
 Importance of Each
Just why do we need these?

When a child is involved in a structured-play

activity, they are learning how to recognise
patterns and meet a pre-established goal in the
most efficient or effective way. In contrast,
unstructured play is about learning how to
create from scratch and explore possibilities.

 Importance of Each
Just why do we need these?

Unstructured play builds important qualities

such as imagination, creativity, and empathy.

Free play lets children enjoy a sense of freedom

and control, allowing them to make mistakes in
a pressure-free environment.
Balance is key.
How to strike a balance between both?

1. Don't force it.

2. Be Attentive to Your Child’s
Response
3. Avoid Overscheduling
4. Enjoy Both Types of Play
5. Embrace the Concept of Boredom
6. Engage With Your Child
 Pablo Neruda once wrote,

“A child who does not play is

not a child.”

TYPES
OF
PLAY
A. Imaginative/Dramatic
Children learn to create and imagine
EXAMPLES:
beyond their world during fantasy play.
a whisk and bowl if they are
They may assume adult roles and learn to
pretending to be a baker.
think in abstract ways.
Dress up costumes
Children can re-enact situations, experiment
with languages, and learn to express
emotions during fantasy play.
They can also work out emotional issues by
projecting them onto a fantasy situation.
Role play also helps teach kids about
functioning in the greater community.
A. Imaginative/Dramatic
B. Constructive
Children build and create things
Children explore objects, discover patterns, and problem solve, to find what
works and what does not.
They gain confidence manipulating objects, and practice creating ideas and
working with numbers and concepts.
Children experiment with drawing, music and building things.
Helps children to understand distance and size
Teaches the power of trying again.
B. Constructive
B. Constructive
C. Creative/expressive/symbolic
Children learn to express themselves and explore and process their
experiences, ideas, and emotions.
Expressed when children use familiar materials in a new or unusual way, and
when children engage in role-playing and imaginative play.
Include vocal activities (singing, jokes, or rhymes), graphic arts (drawing,
coloring, or working with clay), counting, or making music. Symbolic play
helps
Dramatic play helps children experiment with and understand social roles. It
can also give them countless opportunities for acquiring social skills as they
play with others.
C. Creative/expressive/symbolic
Children learn to express themselves and explore and process their
experiences, ideas, and emotions.
Through dramatic play, children gradually learn to take each other's needs
into account, and appreciate different values and perspectives.
Play offers children an opportunity to achieve mastery of their environment.
They control the experience through their imaginations, and they exercise
their powers of choice and decision-making as the play progresses.
Play helps develop each child's unique perspective and individual style of
creative expression.
EXAMPLE
What are some of the ways
we can encourage play in our
classrooms?
IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVE PROCESS
All children need to be truly creative is the freedom to commit themselves
completely to the effort and make whatever activity they are doing their
own.
Creative experiences can help children express and cope with their feelings.
A child's creative activity can help teachers to learn more about what the
child may be thinking or feeling.
Creativity also fosters mental growth in children
Creative activities help acknowledge and celebrate children's uniqueness
and diversity as well as offer excellent opportunities to personalize our
teaching and focus on each child.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CREATIVITY

Providing activities that are based

on the children's interests and
ideas.
This means learning how to listen
intently to what children are saying.
Be sure to offer children a wide
range of creative materials and
experiences.
VARIETIES OF EXPERIENCES

Look for ways to provide multi-ethnic, multi-

cultural and other community experiences for
children.
The more varied experiences children have in
their lives, the wider the range of creative
expression.
The more personal experiences children have
with people and situations outside of their
own environment, the more material they can
draw on to incorporate in their play.
FOSTERING THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Encouraging children to make their own choices is

important.
Put your emphasis on the process of creativity and not
on the finished product.
What children learn and discover about themselves is
vital to their development.
Show your support for the creative process by
appreciating and offering support for children's efforts.
Independence and control are important components
in the creative process.
D. PHYSICAL/MOTOR
Physical play offers a chance for
children to develop muscle strength,
coordination, and exercise and develop
their bodies appropriately, while
maintaining healthy weight.
Children also learn to take turns and
accept winning or losing.
When children run, jump, and play
games such as hide-and-seek and tag,
they are engaging in physical play.
EXAMPLES:
Physical play can include
dancing or ball games. This
helps your child build their
muscles, bones and physical
skills.
throwing a ball, climbing a play
structure, riding a bike, or
playing a game like tag. This
type of play builds gross and
fine motor skills.
 Physical play encourages kids to develop fitness
skills and to enjoy physical activity, which provides
lifelong benefits.

OTHER
TYPES
COMPETITVE PLAY
Children are moving from a self-centered world to an
understanding of the importance of social interactions and rules.

Competitive play begins in the late preschool period. The

play is organized by group goals and established rules.
There is at least one leader, and children are definitely in or
out of the group.
Tag, Follow the Leader, Simon Says, and team sports.
Games with rules teach children the concept that life has
rules that everyone must follow.
VIRTUAL/DIGITAL PLAY
When children play electronic video games or computer-based
learning programs, they are engaging in a form of solitary play.

There is no social interaction or consequences.

If excessive, virtual play often negatively impacts a child’s
executive functioning and social skills, including eye contact
and attention span.
STAGES OF PLAY: BACKGROUND
CONCLUSION

Play is a tremendously important part of

child development. While parents and
caregivers should encourage and support
opportunities for play, remember that
children need their own time and space to
learn these skills, which will come
independently.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!