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Play and Early Learning

Notes

Fig. 11.1 Children involved in Constructive Play

z Dramatic Play: Children start using imagination to make something from
some objects.

z Games with Rules: Children participate in competition type games. It
allows children to understand the idea of rules, accept rules and play by
the rules.

Parten (1929), had also studied play from its value for inculcating social skills.
Parten stated that children’s play changed as they developed, going through six
distinct stages that generally, but not always, corresponded to children’s ages:

z Unoccupied play : Children do not seem to be engaged or actively playing
with others at all. This is play among newborns and infants and may be seen
in children in new spaces, between the ages of 0 and 2 years and is important
for later exploration and development.

z Solitary play : Children often play alone, with toys different from those of
others, and are uninterested or unaware of others. This stage of play is most
commonly seen in young toddlers. However, it benefits children of all ages.
Solitary play teaches children to be by themselves in a productive manner.

z Onlooker play : Onlooker play is when a child observes others playing but
does not join the play. They may engage in social interactions to learn more
about the game or play that is going on. This is common in children between
the ages of two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years, but can take place at
any age.

z Parallel play : This also occurs between ages of two-and-a-half and three-
and-a-half years when children play side-by-side, not engaging with each
other. They may play with similar toys and mimic one another. It seems there
is very little contact between them, however they actually learn quite a lot
from one another.

20 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION