Ways To Play

There are many different ways we can enable children to play which I have picked up over the past few years.  Here are a few of my favourite:

Messy Play

This is a fantastic way for children to explore and experiment using all their senses that can be started from a very young age.  Most of the time the stuff we do messy play with is edible so it doesn't matter if children eat a bit as can be very tempting for them especially when they are under a year old or we are playing with cereal which always seems to get munched!  We have used pasta, custard, tinned tomatoes, jelly, porridge oats, cereal, semolina, rice, noodles, cereal, couscous, water, ice, snow  & shaving foam.  The sky really is the limit in this area.

I use the cat litter trays they sell cheaply in discount stores or supermarkets or the Ikea Trofast trays to put the material in and sometimes add implements to handle the substance which can help some children who don't immediately want to feel different textures on their hands.  Vehicles, animals and people can also be added to encourage imaginative play and objects to fill and empty to develop maths skills.

 This kind of play aids physical development (practicing fine motor skills and hand to eye coordination).  Children can also explore a variety of textures, smells, listen to different noises, observe what happens when they drop or squeeze or roll different things and taste of course!  Children learn turn taking, widen their language by talking about what they are doing and thinking, build their confidence, develop concentration and messy play provides an outlet for emotions.  It is also fantastic fun!

Children should be allowed to explore at their own pace with adult intervention kept to a minimum.  Some children may feel inhibited if they feel Mummy or Daddy don't want them to get dirty or some may be more sensitive to sensory experiences and take longer to enjoy messy play or enjoy it more when they can handle thing with forks or spoons.  As adults to ensure this experience is as positive as possible we should remember that any mess can be tidied up, clothes can be washed and so can children.  Live in the moment and be child like :)

Imaginative Play

This is when children enact scenarios they witness others in their environment doing or pretend to be something that interests them (in the above picture Ethan was being a butterfly apparently).  This can start as holding a toy up and pretending it is a mobile phone and they are talking to someone on it, making dinner, drinking a cup of tea, driving a car, sweeping the floor etc.  We can encourage this type of play with props or toys such as cardboard boxes, clothes, hats, scarves, shoes and bags picked up from Charity shops or that we no longer use (or specific child dress up clothes), kitchen utensils, play food, bowls and children will also pick things up and use them as something we as adults would never imagine. Also we can create spaces which encourage play like a sheet over some chairs that may become a tent.  Life events may make children more aware of something such as present giving at Christmas which can start off new games such as wrapping and unwrapping presents (putting all their toys in a bag and then giving it to you to unwrap and thank them for).

Children also do this sort of play on a smaller scale with small world play.  We have a farm scene and buildings made from wood that we picked up at the school fete for £3 and painted in simple colours.  Sometimes all the vehicles take over the farm, sometimes there are lots of animals and people and Bob the Builder's ladder comes out, sometimes pipe cleaners are thrown all over the farm as snow or shells make it a beach and the buildings are all filled up with them.

Imaginative play can benefit children as it helps them make sense of things, they can develop social skills (sharing and working through problems) and language skills (story telling, listening, talking and body language), they can use it to unwind and enjoy quiet time and develop their imagination.  Also children can explore their emotions and recount experiences.  

Heuristic Play

This is where we give children access to objects from the real world made from different materials in order for them explore using all their senses.  Plastic and electronic toys (that feel, look and taste very similar and may only have one function) can fail to stimulate children and may frustrate or bore them easily.  An example of this can be found in the baby that tosses their birthday presents aside and plays with the boxes and wrapping paper!  For babies we can make treasure baskets.

Items you could have in a treasure basket include:

egg boxes, toilet roll tubes, wrapping paper,

wooden kitchen utensils, curtain rings, bracelets,

natural objects such as an orange, coconut shells, shells, pine cones, loofah, sheepskin, pebbles,

ribbon, silk scarves, lace, cotton handkerchief,

metal objects such as spoons, whisks, cookie cutters, tea strainers, egg cups,   

cosmetic brushes, body brushes, nail brushes, scrubbing brushes and CDs.

Treasure baskets should be kept where a baby can reach them and empty and fill as they wish.  Objects should be added to the basket and taken out regularly to maintain interest.  Baby should be free to explore each object as they wish and decided what they want to play with whilst adult supervises but does not interfere.  Objects no smaller than a five pence piece should be placed in treasure baskets as there is a choking hazard.  Always supervise babies with treasure baskets and check items for damage, throwing them out if necessary.

Children under one learn about the world though sensory motor development where they pick objects up and explore the texture, taste and other physical characteristics through placing them in their mouth.  A treasure basket provides an interesting and rich experience for the baby which helps their brain grow by making connections and stimulating them.

For children over a year heuristic play is done in a slightly different way.  Toddlers like to know what an objects is and if it has a function.  They will experiment with objects by rubbing them, bashing them on things, squeezing, throwing and shaking them.  They may ask "what is this?" and "what does that do?" and use them in imaginative role play games.  Toddlers will gain a lot from playing with the same kinds of items in treasure baskets but because they are not so drawn to mouth everything objects can be added such as:

corks, pipe cleaners, cotton wool, buttons, lids, cardboard tubes of different length, hair rollers, cotton reels, pebbles, feathers, tins and other types of containers.

For toddlers heuristic play we can place groups of resources in separate containers such as plastic food storage containers (a good excuse to buy a takeaway!), baskets or other containers.  These can be labelled with pictures of what they contain inside so children can easily find what they are looking for and assist and learn sorting and categorization at tidy up time.  They may be categorized by what they are, shape or similarities (such as rolling items).   Children should be free to play with the resources however they like in the knowledge that at tidy up time resources will be returned to where they came from.   

Again this activity is completely child led and adult interference is kept to a minimum.  There is no right or wrong way for a child to play with the resources unless you feel they are doing something dangerous with an item.  Children can develop their physical skills, imagination, language skills, understanding of the world, social skills, maths skills and confidence with this type of play.      

  
   

Behaviour

I finished the last part of a behaviour management course last night and we talked about how we promote positive behaviour and what attributes were essential in a childminder.  One of the key parts is being a good role model as the adult in your setting, we can't really expect behaviour from the children we aren't displaying ourselves.  Also taking each child as an individual and planning activities that will stimulate and move each child forwards is really important.  It can be a challenge with a variety of ages but younger children may just need more supervision to do activities the older children are doing or can be catered for my simply making items accessible that interest them (for example a treasure basket full of items made from different materials on the floor may hold a nine month old's attention whilst two three year olds play with a small world scene).  Also how we view behaviour does need to be reflected on sometimes...is it really "naughty" behaviour or a developmental phase (such as biting which we redirect with sensory activities or a crunchy snack), schema (such as throwing which can be directed into something positive) or simply a child being a child and living in the moment?  Do we always need to rush in and intervene in a hard way or can we take a step back sometimes and allow the behaviour or provide an activity that allows this to be used in a more acceptable way?  Are we expecting too much for the developmental stage (not chronological age) of a particular child or are we expecting our societies norms to be ingrained in a child for whom English is not a first language?  In some cultures children are not expected to make eye contact with adults and please and thank yous may not be so important.  We can battle every little thing but must decide what is truly important: how safe, nourished and loved the children in our care feel or how we look to other adults when we are out and about.  I am a firm believer that outdoor activities and socialization are also really important for children.  Even as an adult I can get cabin fever from being cooped up all day and often children's moods can change quite dramatically when given the space to run around and feel free.  If I was looking for a childminder for my son I would want someone who loves their job and feels passionate about it.  I would also want someone who is calm and even tempered, is able to form a close bond with my child and has a similar outlook on parenting to myself.  I would want someone who took delight in sharing new experiences with them and ensured they became part of the community by socializing with a wide variety of people from all walks of life.  Most of all I would want them to treasure and enjoy their time with my child.

Treasure Hunting

I am always on the look out for interesting objects to give to the children for them to play with.  I was buying some hay for my guinea pigs Gizmo and Kit today when I saw these fabulous balls.  They are made of rattan, seagrass and water hyacinth and intended for guinea pigs and rabbits to play with.  They are very tactile objects and I will be letting the children play with them (under my supervision) tomorrow.   I think these balls will be more suitable for my nearly three year olds to play with as the under one I look after is teething so I would rather he play with the wooden utensils and metal objects that have less chance of breaking apart in his mouth.

Elinor Goldschmied and Sonia Jackson coined the term heuristic play to describe providing children with the opportunity to find out about objects and what can be done with them. The term heuristic is derived from the Greek word ‘eurisko’ which means ‘serves to discover or gain an understanding of.’  Objects made from natural products have varied and interesting textures & aromas which encourage children to explore with all their senses.  Heuristic play is completely child led and open ended - there is no conclusion or finished product that is expected and children are free to explore and play in whatever way their imagination leads them.

Since introducing the balls they have been a big hit.  The two year old I look after can flit from toy to toy like a butterfly when we go to groups with a wealth of plastic fantastic but the water hyacinth ball held her attention for two hours.  She held it for a while and then examined it closer seeing if she could unpick it (she couldn't).  Then she engaged me in a game of catch with it and enjoyed running to get it and throwing it back to me.  Interestingly she put the rough seagrass ball down straight away but the smooth water hyacinth must have felt more pleasant to hold for her.  Ethan Bear loved playing with them all.  He started a big game of catch and really upped the energy of the play.  When my tired pregnant body was ready to sit down Ethan was happy to throw the seagrass ball against the ball and watch it roll back.  So some really interesting reactions to very simple objects appearing in the room this week.

Ethan Bear throwing the rough seagrass ball.




 

“To the uneducated an A is just three sticks.”

Ever since having my son Ethan Bear three years ago I have been passionate about learning.  My parenting style has always been very instinctive, based on love and listening to my son's needs.  From a young age Ethan has loved messy play (and baby led weaning him at six months led to at least three of these messy play sessions a day!) and exploring the outside world.  I did not have a huge amount of money to buy loads of toys for Ethan which I think has actually benefited him in a lot of ways.  Ethan has always been included in what we are doing and, I believe, has benefited hugely from having a vast range of experiences (including climbing a mountain in the Schwarzwald aged twenty months, although he got a bit tired on the way down and we had to sing The Grand Old Duke of York to lift his spirits!).

I started childminding when Ethan was a year old and my instinctive approach now extends to the children I care for.  The children love playing outside in all weathers, getting stuck into messy and arty play, creating their own worlds using the model farm as a base for them, using every day objects in imaginative play, singing and dancing, listening to a good story and socializing when I take them to play groups.  I feel my job as a mother and childminder is to facilitate the children in having lots of enriching experiences.  By being given these chances and our time children can grow in their understanding and feel emboldened to explore further.  Often the simplest ideas offer the greatest opportunities for learning and I am constantly amazed by children's imagination and pure way of seeing the world.  One of the many rewards of parenting and childminding is a chance to be like a child again and see how amazing the world is.