Extending Children’s Play and Learning

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about children's play and learning.

As we build relationships with children and support their learning,

here are some considerations for extending children's play.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, too. So share in the comments

below what resonates with you.

After careful observation of the children's play and thinking, there is an opportunity to extend and build upon initial play ideas. Play does not occur in isolation. Within play a relationship exists between and among materials, children, parents and educators, and the experience itself. Play is born from our previous explorations with materials and ideas, too. These experiences inform what will occur in the present and, in turn, the present informs how the future play opportunities will unfold. Add to that our own observations of others in play, and there is a rich experience filled with multi-layers of nuanced moments and creative opportunities all built upon relationships.

Supporting children to have positive play experiences, therefore, begins with our own ability to carefully listen to and observe children. As parents and educators, we bring our own experiences with play to each encounter with children. Guiding children's thinking and extending their current play interests rests on our ability to see, listen and honour children's unique ideas about their play. Play is the space where children experiment, create and innovate.

So the big question to consider is, "How do we extend children's play without taking over with our own good intentions and ideas?" We must be considerate of the children's play journey. Guiding them without pushing our own agenda on the play honours the rights of the child and their unique experiences in play.

Consider the following when engaging with children during play:

• Observe the play, document what you see, hear and notice. Take photos, videos, and notes. 

• Reflect with the children. Share the experience back with them through photos/videos. Record their thoughts. Ask questions, "I wonder why that happened?", "I noticed this...", "I see you...", "Can you share with me what made you think of that?" "What might you do next?"

• Add new materials, books, and opportunities to think about within the children's interest/play space. The addition of one new material ignites creative thinking and introduces another layer to the play. 

• Change the location of the play. Bring the play materials outdoors, for example. This can invite new thinking and innovation to children's ideas. 

• Offer children art mediums to record their play, thinking, and ideas. Paint, pastels, charcoal, and clay can all be considered in relation to the play focus. This not only engages children in documenting their own play and learning but also allows for reflection and the sharing of ideas. 

Children are often fascinated by the interaction of light with materials from within the learning environment. The addition of transparent materials sparks this discovery and is an intentional addition to our offerings for the children. Some examples of transparent materials are: rainbow blocks, coloured shapes, glass gems, prisms, acrylic pebbles, and sheer fabric. 

These authentic discoveries often lead to investigations lasting several weeks as the children continue to inquire about their interests and curiosities. After observing and documenting the children’s initial ideas, thinking and conversations, we curated a collection of transparent materials along with flashlights to extend their play and learning. The materials were set in the sunlight on a sunny day for the children. As they continued to share ideas and make new discoveries we continued to observe and document. 

We reflected with the children, looking at the photos captured during their play and allowing them shared their discoveries with each other the following day. This sequence of observe, document the play, and reflect continues for as long as the interest in the children continues to be sparked by new thinking. Quite often children will also move on to a new interest only to return to a previous play exploration or idea later. This ebb and flow of interests is supported through a flexible environment that responds to and values children as autonomous learners. The journey is filled with joyful play and meaningful relationships for a lifetime of learning. 

“A child’s play is not simply a

reproduction of what he has

experienced, but a creative reworking

of the impressions he has acquired.”

Vygotsky

If you know someone who’d love this post. Please share it with them. I look forward to reflecting with you in the comments. Don’t forget to share below. 

Wishing You Many Creative Explorations in Play!

Sincerely,

Michelle