Children depend on adults to ensure that they are able to play. Adults have the responsibility to be able to know how to ensure they are skilled at implementing a playful learning pedagogy.
We encourage adults to play an active and supporting role in children’s play activities.
In adult directed play, adults have an active role and facilitate the play. Games or activities set by a parent, teacher or caregiver are examples of adult directed play. Adults help provide structure to a game or activity by defining a clear set of rules from the outset. Adults provide specific toys or games for children to play with to achieve a specific outcome. Adult directed play introduces ‘new’ learning concepts or targets specific developmental skill/learning areas in children e.g. hand-eye coordination or fine motor skills.
In order to facilitate playful learning, the adult has to:
It is also important for adults to create a balance between adult directed play and child directed play to help children learn and develop better. Child directed play is when a child decides, directs and leads the play in any way the child wishes, providing it is harmless. The role of the adult is to allow for the play to happen, to provide resources, the time and the space for the play to take place.
Adults working with children need to allow for child directed play and should remind themselves that child directed play means:
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