What is play? - Carson Street School
What is play? - Carson Street School
What is play? - Carson Street School
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PLAY SPACE MODEL PLAY STRATEGIES FOR THE CHILD<br />
MOVEEquipment used during <strong>play</strong><br />
Children differ enormously in their rate of growth and development, so equipment<br />
(toys, games and activities) should keep pace with your child’s changing needs<br />
and ability levels. Your child’s interests and abilities should drive the selection of<br />
equipment. Observe to find out how your child responds to different equipment. For<br />
example, some like equipment with a specific sensory character<strong>is</strong>tic (e.g. v<strong>is</strong>ual –<br />
bright lights, auditory- loud no<strong>is</strong>es or textures –rough/smooth); whereas other<br />
children may ‘shut down’ when presented with these sensory features. Look for<br />
equipment that <strong>is</strong> easy for the child to interact with: to grab, hold, hang onto and<br />
move. Provide equipment that will invoke curiosity, provoke questions, awaken<br />
their imagination and inspire them to explore. By providing your child with<br />
access to a wide variety of equipment they can choose the ones that interest them.<br />
Give your child the time to d<strong>is</strong>cover what they must do to make a piece of<br />
equipment work and then how they can use it in different ways. From there they can<br />
begin to learn how to use the equipment in creative and imaginative ways.<br />
<br />
When selecting equipment for <strong>play</strong> i.e. outdoor or indoor, several things need to be<br />
considered. Observe your child closely to determine preferred activities and skills<br />
level. Based on these observations you can get a clue on what types of equipment<br />
your child would prefer.<br />
*Is it suited to the child’s<br />
age group?<br />
*Will it grab her<br />
attention and interest?<br />
child<br />
Factors to consider when<br />
choosing equipment for your<br />
*Is it too big/small?<br />
*Is it suited to the<br />
child’s present<br />
abilities?<br />
*How much<br />
strength <strong>is</strong> needed<br />
to <strong>play</strong> with it?<br />
*Can it be used<br />
more as the child<br />
develops skills?<br />
*Does it include<br />
sensory stimuli<br />
features that the<br />
child prefers?<br />
*Does it move or<br />
make a sound?<br />
*Does the child<br />
respond to its<br />
feel and its<br />
appearance?<br />
*How <strong>is</strong> it<br />
activated?<br />
*<strong>What</strong><br />
movements are<br />
needed from the<br />
child to activate<br />
the equipment?<br />
*How much<br />
strength <strong>is</strong><br />
needed to<br />
activate it?<br />
* How difficult <strong>is</strong><br />
it to manipulate?
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