WRITTEN REPORT

ECE 4

TOPIC: TOYS AND MATERIALS TO ENCOURAGE PLAY

ORGANIZING FOR PLAY- The creation of the context for play requires organization. There are many
ways to consider the teacher's multi-dimensional role. For the sake of clarity, these roles have been
integrated in a step-by-step plan that begins with planning and then moves to evaluation and
intervention in a dynamic, spiraling cycle that is continuously changing. These four main areas include
planning, observing, guiding, and evaluating.

PLANNING FOR PLAY- This is the first and most crucial phase, and a position that many educators find
fulfilling. Time, place, supplies, and preparatory experiences must all be coordinated during the planning
and organizing process. The teacher's continuous reactions and reflections have an impact on the
organization. She might decide to create papier maché dinosaur eggs and bury them in the outside
sandbox to resemble a fossil dig if she detects a fascination with dinosaurs. Including dinosaur literature
and fossil-hunting supplies will encourage learning as well as play. Play thrives in conditions of ideal
time, space, materials, and pre-experiences.

TIME- Time is an essential component. It takes time for preschoolers to engage in play including more
complex play scripts. According to certain educators, kids should change positions every fifteen minutes.
When educators do this, they disrupt play to the point that the kids never engage in developmentally
appropriate play or learn how to focus and maintain social interactions. The child learns to switch
between topics as a result. According to Bodrova and Leong (2007), children require a minimum of thirty
minutes to become engaged in play, meaning that an hour should be allocated for center time. By their
very nature, preschool programs should be designed with play at the center, and extended playtime is
essential for the growth of fine motor skills and attentiveness (Paley, 2004).

PHYSICAL SPACE- Preschoolers want a sufficient amount of area to play a range of games. According to
research, each child need 42 to 50 square feet of usable area (American Public Health Association,
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education, American Academy of
Pediatrics, 2011). Aggression increases when children are under 25 feet tall (Smith & Connolly, 1980).
"Young children relate to the world through their bodies and their senses. They require large amounts of
space in which to learn by moving and doing." says Anita Olds, a leading authority on environments for
young children. "Thirty-five SF per child is a 5' x 7' space—a little over twice the dimensions of the
average playpen."

MATERIALS- Materials Play is impacted by the selection, rotation, and storage of materials. What
resources are developmentally appropriate for the group is up to the teacher. Does this fit the age,
developmental stage, and cultural representation in the classroom well? Four-year-olds also prefer
wooden blocks with accessories, while three-year-olds will still enjoy building with plastic and cardboard
blocks. The culture of the classroom must be reflected in the materials. Parents who consider this to be
a terrible waste of food may find it insulting when children use food, like rice, as a plaything. See if the
kids require any additional stimulating materials. During play, what is happening? Does the addition of
interest require new materials, or can the existing materials be stored? Using a prop

TABLE 5-2 Play Materials for Preschoolers and Kindergartners

• A full-length, unbreakable mirror mounted on wall or in a sturdy stand

• Dolls of various ethnicities, including those of the children in the program, with clothes and caregiving
accessories (e.g., bottles, blankets)

• A variety of dress-ups (with increasing levels of role-relevant details) and supporting props for various
themes

• A variety of hand puppets

• Materials for constructing play scenes, including blocks and human and animal figures A variety of
sturdy vehicles for use with blocks

• Sand and water play materials for exploration and experimentation (measures, strainers, tubes,
funnels) and materials for fantasy play in sand and water

•Construction materials, including large and small wooden unit blocks, large hollow blocks, and a variety
of other small materials for construction

•A variety of puzzles (fit-in, framed, jigsaw), with number of pieces appropriate to children's ages

•Beads for stringing (size depends on age); pegboards; pattern-making materials (pattern blocks and
tiles, weaving materials) for older end of age range

•Dressing, lacing, and stringing materials to learn simple self-help skills and beginning sewing activities

•Specific skill-development materials that include activities related to matching, sorting, and ordering by
shape, color, letter, number, and so on; equipment related to science and the natural world

•A variety of games, such as dominoes, lotto, simple card games, bingo, and first board games (with the
outcomes based on chance, not strategy)

•A large variety of books appropriate to the ages, Interests, and experiences of the group

•A large variety of art and craft materials, including both graphic and plastic materials

•A standard rhythm instrument set (and instruments such as wood xylophones, if cost permits)
Recorded music (and player) for singing, moving, and playing rhythm instruments •Push and pull toys
that support sociodramatic play (wagon, doll carriage, vacuum cleaner)
•A variety of balls for specific sports activities, such as kicking, throwing, catching, and rolling (beanbags
can also be used for throwing and catching; target games can be used for the older end of the age
range)

•Pedal tricycles (appropriate for children's size and age)

•Outdoor and gym equipment (e.g., climbing gym, swings, slides, ladders, seesaw by age five)
proportioned to children's sizes and capabilities; also sand and gardening tools and all-weather
construction equipment