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About Play
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Play is the main business of the lives of children and is the way that they learn and explore the world around them.
Play is vital process by which children develop their intellectual, physical, creative and social skills.
There are as many forms of play as there are children in the world; it can be active or inactive, solitary or group play, structured, but what is central to the whole process is that it is the child who sets the agenda in the play situation.
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| Play as a Human Right |
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Play is central to the healthy growth and development of the child and is recognised as a basic human right for all children. This right is stated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31.
"States parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
" States parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity."
Our own National Children's Strategy 'Our Children - Their Lives' states:
"Children will have access to play, sport, recreation and cultural activities to enrich their experience of childhood"
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| The Benefits of Play |
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Children learn to live through play. Many life skills are first learnt through the medium of play. Play is the "SPICE" of life for children.
Play helps the all round development of children through their:
- Social development (relationships/roles)
- Physical development (health, co-ordination, strength, manipulation and fine motor skills)
- Intellectual development (working out answers e.g. speed, quantity, concepts -big/little, abstract ideas)
- Creative development (making things/symbols, imagination)
- Emotional development (playing out feelings)
Childhood play becomes a resource which can be used in later life to:
- deal with setbacks and tragedies
- live a full life
- make a contribution to mental & physical health
- give a sense of well-being & control
- help make sensitive, sound relationships
- be creative & imaginative
( Courtesy - PlayShare)
Underlying all these benefits, for children play is fun and is a positive, natural outlet for their curiosity and energy.
There are increasing pressures on the child's opportunities for free play. The child's right to enjoy free play needs to be protected and supported. These pressures are varied and may include:
parental expectations of academic progress from an early age, increased pressures for child supervision at all times, traffic dangers, parental fears of 'stranger danger', the loss of natural play opportunities through development, and in rural areas; isolation and the lack of transport.
Play Types
There are many different types of play that take place in different settings. These are taken from Bob Hughes, A Playworker's Taxonomy of Play Types. Playlink, 1996.
Symbolic play
Rough and tumble play
Socio-dramatic play - playing house
Social play - games
Creative play - materials and tools
Communications play - words, jokes, acting
Dramatic play - dramatises events in which the child is a spectator
Deep play - risky experiences, conquers fear, riding a bike
Exploratory play - manipulating, exploring
Fantasy play - rearranges the world in the child's way
Imaginative play - pretending
Locomotor play - chase, swinging, climbing
Mastery play - lighting fires, digging holes, complex games
Object play - hand-eye coordination, painting
Role play - ways of being, driving a car.
How many of these play types can take place on a standard fixed equipment playground?
Best Play - What Play Provision Should do for Children
The following is taken from the publication, Best Play, published by Playlink. These criteria may be used to assess the quality of your play provision or play programme:
- Extends the choice and control that children have over their play, the freedom they enjoy and the satisfaction they gain from it
- Recognises the child's need to test boundaries and responds positively to those needs
- manages the balance between the need to offer risk and the need to keep children safe
- Maximises the range of play opportunities
- Fosters independence and self esteem
- Fosters children's respect for others and offers opportunities for social interaction
- Fosters the child's well being, healthy growth and development, knowledge and understanding, creativity and capacity to learn
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| Súgradh’s Policy on Play: |
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Free
Play services or play environments should be available free of charge to all children.
Inclusive/Accessible
Play opportunities should be provided for children irrespective of background, ability, religion, race or culture.
All play and recreation programmes should be respectful of all children, free of exploitation, bullying, violence, unsafe practices and discrimination.
Standards
The application of standards is a key way to ensure that children play in a situation which is safe, well maintained and appropriate. For capital items, standards cover the design, construction, maintenance and management of play facilities. For play services, standards would cover training, staffing and equipment requirements.
Age Appropriate
Play provision needs to reflect both the age and stage of development of the child.
Training for play
Training needs to be provided for all staff working with play; this includes those working directly or indirectly with children at play, whether in a professional or voluntary capacity.
Wherever
It should be recognized that children play wherever and whenever they need to and not just in designated play spaces or play grounds. In planning the design of our built environments we must provide both designated play situations designed to meet the play needs of children and young people as well as recognising that children will need safe and informal play opportunities within their communities.
Therefore, to realistically provide for children's play and recreation, our national and local environmental planning guidelines must contain measures ensuring that our villages, towns and cities become child friendly environments.
Funding
Funding, from both statutory bodies and the community is essential if play is to be provided which is free, accessible and inclusive.
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