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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 02

THE ROLE OF PLAY

MODULE OVERVIEW

Play is the work of children. It consists of those activities performed for self-amusement that have
behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards. It is child-directed, and the rewards come from within the
individual child; it is enjoyable and spontaneous.

Playing is a natural and enjoyable way for children to keep active, stay well and be happy. Freely chosen
play helps children and young people’s healthy development. To have good physical and mental health and to
learn life skills, they need various unstructured play opportunities from birth until they’re teenagers.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, the students must have:

a. explained how play affects the development of children in all domains;

b. compared and contrasted the different types of play;
c. illustrated each stage of play; and
d. discussed the importance of observing children during play.

LEARNING CONTENTS

A. How Play Affects the Development of Children in All Domains

Play is the work of children. It consists of those activities performed for self-amusement that have
behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards. It is child-directed, and the rewards come from within the
individual child; it is enjoyable and spontaneous.

Play is an important part of the childhood development. Through play children learn about shapes,
colors, cause and effect, and themselves. Besides cognitive thinking, play helps the child learn social and
psychomotor skills. It is a way of communicating joy, fear, sorrow, and anxiety. Play takes different forms for
different children, and its definition entails many aspects. Play is the direct opposite of work; it is frivolous. It
provides freedom and invites the impulse to engage in foolishness. Yet it provides a means for ego
development and a process by which social skills and physical skills develop as well.

Although play was thought to be shallow and non-essential before, modern researches proved the
benefits of play in a child’s development. Below are some ways we could understand how play affects the
development of a child in different areas of development.

* PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT *

Play aids in developing both fine and gross motor skills. Children repeat certain body movements purely
for pleasure, and these movements develop body control. For example, an infant will first hit at a toy, then
will try to grasp it, and eventually will be able to pick it up. Next, the infant will shake the rattle or perhaps
bring it to the mouth. In these ways, the infant moves from simple to more complex gestures.

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Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Physical skills are an important part of a child’s overall development. During physical play
children develop their large muscles through movements such as climbing, chasing, riding,
swinging, hanging, skipping, swimming etc.

They then develop their small muscles through activities such as playing with construction
blocks, threading, beading, playing with pegboards, drawing, cutting, painting and other art
activities etc. The building of gross and fine motor skills is very important for a child to be able to
function and perform everyday movements and self-care tasks, as well as learning to write and
hold a pencil.

* EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT *

Children who are anxious may be helped by role playing. Role playing is a way of coping with
emotional conflict. Children may escape through play into a fantasy world in order to make sense out of the
real one. Also, a child's self-awareness deepens as he explores an event through role-playing or symbolic
play.

When a parent or sibling plays a board game with a child, shares a bike ride, plays baseball, or
reads a story, the child learns self-importance. The child's self-esteem gets a boost. Parents send positive
messages to their child when they communicate pleasure in providing him or her with daily care. From
these early interactions, children develop a vision of the world and gain a sense of their place in it.

* COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT *

Children gain knowledge through their play. They exercise their abilities to think, remember, and
solve problems. They develop cognitively as they have a chance to test their beliefs about the world. Every
activity provides a way for children to build their understanding of new concepts. Through play, they
discover the world and learn how things work as they explore and investigate. Their brains are stimulated
and they are constantly developing their intellectual (cognitive) abilities. Children develop skills such as
memory, perception, problem-solving, thinking skills etc.

Problem-Solving Skills

Children increase their problem-solving abilities through games and puzzles. Children
involved in make-believe play can stimulate several types of learning. Language is strengthened as
the children model others and organize their thoughts to communicate. Children playing house
create elaborate narratives concerning their roles and the nature of daily living.

When children are engaged in play, they often need to face challenges and solve problems
along the way. The problems may come in the form of a conflict with a friend, a tower of blocks that
keeps falling down or a color of paint that is missing and needs to be mixed. Whatever the challenge,
playing provides a way to find solutions in a fun way and practice this important life skill.

Language and Vocabulary

While children are playing, they are developing language skills. The constant exposure to
new things and activities builds and expands their vocabulary and as they talk about what they are
engaging in, they practice using language and learning grammar and sentence construction.

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While children do this naturally when playing with siblings or friends, if they are alone it is a
perfect opportunity for a parent to ask questions and start a discussion. Ask about what they are
doing, the equipment or toys they are using, what their goal is etc. While drawing a picture, a simple
comment such as “tell me about your picture” can invite your child to share the thinking process that
has gone into their creation.

Children also increase their understanding of size, shape, and texture through play. They
begin to understand relationships as they try to put a square object in a round opening or a large
object in a small space. Books, videos, and educational toys that show pictures and matching words
also increase a child's vocabulary while increasing the child's concept of the world.

Mathematical Skills

Mathematical skills are not developed during the grades, but rather in the early years of
play. This is the time when the foundational concepts are introduced. If enough of these meaningful
experiences are offered early on, children will find it natural to learn more formal mathematical
concepts later on. Children will learn concepts like number and amount, measurement, capacity,
mass, area, etc. through play. The best places to learn these are in the sandpit, the water trough
and the kitchen. Math is everywhere in daily experiences.

* SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT *

A newborn cannot distinguish itself from others and is completely self-absorbed. As the infant
begins to play with others and with objects, a realization of self as separate from others begins to develop.
The infant begins to experience joy from contact with others and engages in behavior that involves others.
The infant discovers that when he coos or laughs, mother coos back. The child soon expects this response
and repeats it for fun, playing with his mother.

As children grow, they enjoy playful interaction with other children. Children learn about boundaries,
taking turns, teamwork, and competition. Children also learn to negotiate with different personalities and
the feelings associated with winning and losing. They learn to share, wait, and be patient.

Social Skills

There’s no better way children learn to socialize than during play, whether it is between
siblings or friends. They also learn this through interaction with parents. Play is a constant game of
give and take between two or more children. Whether they are establishing rules for a new game,
deciding what to build with their blocks or acting out roles during fantasy play, there is always
negotiation and compromise involved.

They practice various abilities such as:

 showing compassion
 being assertive but also able to follow others’ lead
 taking turns
 follow rules
 understanding things from others’ point of view
 learning socially acceptable behavior
 showing sympathy and empathy
 taking others feelings into account
 resolving conflict independently
 learning to compromise

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* EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT *

Some forms of play, such as when children dress up and role play, are excellent ways for them to
safely express their feelings and make sense of their world while playing. They develop emotional
intelligence when given appropriate outlets and ways to explore feelings.

Other activities such as sand play, water play or moulding play dough can be wonderful for relieving
anxiety and providing a positive experience that a child can feel success with.

* MORAL DEVELOPMENT *

When children engage in play with their peers and families, they begin to learn some behaviors are
acceptable while others are unacceptable. Parents start these lessons early in the child's life by teaching
the child to control aggressive behavior. Parents can develop morals while reading to children by stressing
the moral implications in stories. Children can identify with the moral fictional characters without assuming
their roles. With peers they quickly learn that taking turns is rewarding and cheating is not. Group play
helps the child appreciate teamwork and share and respect others' feelings. The child learns how to be
kind and charitable to others.

In the early 2000s, children of all ages and from every socioeconomic background often prefer television,
computers, and battery-operated toys to self-directed, imaginative, and creative play. This tendency leaves
children developmentally deprived, because imaginative and fantasy play allows children to explore their world
and express their innermost thoughts and feelings, hopes and fears, likes and dislikes. Through play, decisions
are made without penalty or fear of failure. Play allows children to gain control of their thoughts, feelings, actions,
and helps them achieve self-confidence.

Play with imagination and fantasy is the child's natural medium of self-expression and one that gives cues
about the child's conscious and unconscious states. In play therapy, clinicians employ various techniques
designed to reveal the child's psychological and social development. Clinician-directed play therapy is,
therefore, not naturally self-directed play, but play designed by a professional to facilitate understanding of the
child and the child's healing process.

LEARNING CONTENTS

B. Categories of Play

Categories of play are not mutually exclusive; different forms or categories of play may overlap.
Having choices is important since an action that appeals to one child may be of no interest to another,
and the child's interest is likely to change throughout the play period. An understanding of play in many
forms can help parents understand its importance for children of all ages. Some specific categories of
play are as follows.

Physical play. When children run, jump, and play games such as chase, hide-and-seek, and tag, they engage
in physical play. This play has a social nature because it involves other children. It also
provides exercise, which is essential for normal development.

Expressive play. Certain forms of play give children opportunities to express feelings by engaging with materials.
Materials used in expressive play include tempera paints, fingerpaints, watercolors,
crayons, colored pencils and markers, and drawing paper; clay, water, and sponges;
beanbags, pounding benches, punching bags, and rhythm instruments; and shaving

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cream, pudding, and gelatin. Parents can take an active role in expressive play by using
the materials alongside the child.

Manipulative play. Children control or master their environment through manipulative play. They manipulate the
environment and other people as much as possible. Manipulative play starts in infancy.
Infants play with their parents; for example, they drop a toy, wait for the parent to pick it
up, clean it, and return it, and then they drop it again. This interaction brings the infant and
parent together in a game. Children move objects such as puzzle pieces and gadgets to
better understand how they work.

Symbolic play. Certain games can symbolically express a child's problems. Because there are no rules in
symbolic play, the child can use this play to reinforce, learn about, and imaginatively alter
painful experiences. The child who is in an abusive family may pretend to be a mother
who loves and cuddles her child rather than one who verbally or physically abuses her
child. Or in play, this same child might act out abusive experience by hitting or screaming
at a doll that symbolizes the child. Parents can be surprised by their child's perception of
family issues. Children mimic their parents in certain play; in other games they may
pretend they are the heroes they read about in books or see on television. At certain
developmental stages children believe they can fly or disappear. Symbolic play may be
used by children to cope with fear of separation when they go to school or to the hospital.

Dramatic play. Children act out situations they suspect may happen to them, that they are fearful will happen,
or that they have witnessed. Dramatic play can be either spontaneous or guided and may
be therapeutic for children in the hospital.

Familiarization play. Children handle materials and explore experiences in reassuring, enjoyable ways.
Familiarization prepares children for potentially fearful and painful experiences, such as
surgery or parental separation.

Games. Games with rules are rarely played by children younger than four years of age. Board games, card
games, and sports are enjoyed typically by school-age children. In these games, children
learn to play by the rules and to take turns. Older children enjoy games with specific rules;
however, younger children tend to like games that allow them to change the rules.

Surrogate play. For children who are too ill or incapacitated to play, another child or a parent may serve as
surrogate. Watching the surrogate who plays on behalf of the sick child is stimulating to
the sick child. When parents engage in expressive art by painting or redecorating a room
while the physically challenged child watches, they stimulate the child.

LEARNING CONTENTS

C. Parten’s Stages of Play

Mildred Bernice Parten Newhall (August 4, 1902 – May 26, 1970) was an
American sociologist, a researcher at University of Minnesota's Institute of Child
Development. She completed her doctoral dissertation in 1929. In it she developed the
theory of six stages of child's play, which led to a series of influential publications.

Newhall was one of the first to conduct extensive studies on children for the case
of play. She supervised children between two and five years old for intense one-minute
periods. In these time frames, she could see the different children's behavior and
documented them accordingly. She noted that most of the play is by themselves, in the

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first four stages. The latter two are more extensive sets of play, and occur in older age groups which
involve more interaction between children.

Parten’s Six Different Types of Play

Unoccupied – Unoccupied play refers to activity when a child actually isn't playing at all. They may be engaged
in seemingly random movements, with no objective. Despite appearances, this definitely is play
and sets the stage for future play exploration.

Solitary – Solitary play is just what it sounds like—when your child plays alone. This type of play is important
because it teaches a child how to keep himself entertained, eventually setting the path to being
self-sufficient.

Any child can play independently, but this type of play is the most common in younger children
around ages 2 or 3. At that age, they are still pretty self-centered and lack good communication
skills. If a child is on the shy side and doesn't know his playmates well, he may prefer this type
of play. However, it is important for all age groups to have some time to play by themselves.

Onlooker – Onlooker play is when a child simply observes other children playing and doesn't partake in the
action. It's common for younger children who are working on their developing vocabulary. The
child may engage in forms of social interaction, such as conversation about the play, without
actually joining in the activity. This type of play usually starts during toddler years but can take
place at any age.

Parallel – This type of play is seen as a transitory stage from a socially immature solitary and onlooker type
of play, to a more socially mature associative and cooperative type of play. Children play side
by side with similar toys, but there is a lack of group involvement.

Despite having little social contact between playmates, children who parallel play actually learn
quite a bit from one another like taking turns and other social niceties. Even though it appears
they aren't paying attention to each other, they truly are and often mimic the other one's
behavior. As such, this type of play is viewed as an important bridge to the later stages of play.

Associative – Slightly different from parallel play, associative play also features children playing separately from
one another. But in this mode of play, they are involved with what the others are doing—think
children building a city with blocks. As they build their individual buildings, they are talking to
one another and engaging each other.

This is an important stage of play because it helps little ones develop a whole host of skills—
socialization (what should we build now?) and problem-solving (how can we make this city
bigger?), cooperation (if we work together we can make our city even better) and language
development (learning what to say to get their messages across to one another). Through
associative play is how children begin to make real friendships.

Cooperative – Cooperative play is where all the stages come together and children truly start playing together.
It is common in older preschoolers or in younger preschoolers who have older siblings.
Cooperative play uses all of the social skills your child has been working on and puts them into
action.

Whether they are building a puzzle together, playing a board game, or enjoying an outdoor
group game, cooperative play sets the stage for future interactions as your child matures into
an adult.

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In cooperative play, the activity is organized, and participants have assigned roles. There is
also increased self-identification with a group, and a group identity may emerge. This is
relatively uncommon in the preschool and Kindergarten years, because it requires more social
maturity and more advanced organization skills. Examples would be dramatic play activities
with roles, like playing school, or a game with rules, such as freeze tag.

According to Parten, as children became older, improving their communication skills, and as
opportunities for peer interaction become more common, the nonsocial (solitary and parallel) types of play
become less common, and the social (associative and cooperative) types of play become more common.

Modern scholars agree that Parten's theory has contributed substantially to our understanding of
play, and while alternative classification schemes have been proposed, Parten's stages of play are still
widely used. However, there is disagreement on whether there is indeed a sequence of play stages that
children go through – for example, whether toddlers are really unable to play cooperatively, and whether
solitary play in older children is less common or a sign of immaturity. Alternative explanations suggest that
types of play may be influenced by other circumstances (such as how well the children know one another).

LEARNING ACTIVITY

“Dirt and Grass”

The instructor will be showing the students a video on https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/infant-
toddler-resource-guide/supporting-videos?qt-itrg_quicktab=0#qt-itrg_quicktab#10869 entitled “Dirt and
Grass” The would later on answer the follow-up questions below:

What are some ways the teacher is responsive to the toddlers?

Do you think she waited to see how they will explore and follows their lead, asks
questions, and repeats some of their words? Explain.
In what ways did the teacher encourage the toddlers as they discover dirt and grass?
What do you think each child might be experiencing?

LEARNING CONTENTS

D. Observing Children at Play

Observing children's play offers an important way in which adults can monitor and assess children's
progress. For Reggio Emilians play is highly valued for its ability to promote development, but no more
so than the complex and long-term projects in which children and teachers become engaged.

Logging children's use of a particular activity or play scenario helps practitioners monitor how
children use their time, their particular interests and any gaps in their experiences, so that practitioners
can plan a balanced curriculum that takes note of children's strengths, interests and needs.

Hyder (2005) argues that children can reveal a great deal through their fantasy and imaginative
play, and that listening and watching is a crucial part of gaining access to children's ideas and feelings.
Cagliari (2003a), however, warns about the dangers of seeing what we want to see. Children's play is
complex, and we need to be cautious about assuming that, because we have observed the observable
(i.e. what the children are doing or saying), we have accessed their thoughts and ideas. We need to be
careful that we see what actually happens and not what we expect or want to see.

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E. Play-Based Assessment

Play-based assessments are suitable for children and young people with a broad range of ages,
abilities and needs. There are many reasons for suggesting a play-based assessment, and we often use
them with children and young people who:

Are pre-verbal
Have low language abilities
Have English as an additional language (EAL)
Have experienced trauma
Struggle to put feelings into words
Have social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH)

What are the benefits of a play-based assessment?

A play-based assessment provides a broad range of information about an individual, and bring
the following benefits:

An understanding of needs
A profile of strengths and needs
Personalised approaches
Identified emotional characteristics

Some specific assessment tools used in play-based assessment:

 Symbolic play test - This test can be used with children aged 1 to 3 years old and it
assesses early concept formation which can be used to predict future receptive and
expressive language abilities
 Schedule of growing skills: II - This play-based assessment highlights any potential
developmental delays and areas of strength
 Bayley - The Bayley scales of infant and toddler development can be used from 4
months old and can measure; cognitive, motor and language abilities in addition to social-
emotional and adaptive behaviour
 ADOS - Autism diagnostic observation schedule, can be used from age 1 to identify
autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) with a range of language abilities. Through interactive
play and activities, it measures; communication, social interaction, play, restricted and
repetitive behaviours

LEARNING ACTIVITY

“Child at Play”

In this activity, the students must apply what they have learned from this module. They will be
asked to observed and record Parten’s Stages of Play with children.

To start the activity, they will need to find a subject/subjects for their observation. They will then
conduct the observation and take note of what developmental area is manifested during the play. This
activity is coupled with photos as part of the documentation.

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SUMMARY

More than just a chance to have fun, play is serious business when it comes to a child's health
and development. From peek-a-boo to pat-a-cake and hide-and-seek to hopscotch, the many forms of
play enrich a child's brain, body, and life in important ways.

Learning is best fueled by tapping into a child's natural urge to play, rather than just outside
factors like test scores. As they actively engage with and joyfully discover their world, children gain 21st
century skills that increasingly call for teamwork and innovation.

REFERENCES

 http://www.healthofchildren.com/P/Play.html
 https://www.verywellfamily.com/types-of-play-2764587

 https://www.hsrpsychology.co.uk/services/specific-assessments/other-assessments/play-based-
assessment/

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