Play Web-Based Research-Part 1 by Blake Tonkin

Rationale for the Inclusion of Play

blaketonkin1_ — 2024-03-05 17:51:44 UTC

Play is a vital source of learning for children. The developmental domains are learned through relationships between objects, cause and effect, and characteristics of different objects. Incorporating creative play into the learning curriculum helps to develop the developmental domains of social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development.
- Social helps students to form relationships with adults and peers.
- The emotional domain helps the child with their emotional behavior and self-identity.
- The physical domain helps the fine and gross motor skills, perception, and physical growth of children.
- The cognitive domain helps children with memory, problem-solving, and the development of knowledge.
- The language development domain helps children with communication, reading, writing, and vocabulary.
When children are experiencing creative play they are exploring and learning using their senses. The use of the five senses is important for creative play to allow students to self-explore their learning.
Creative play experiences help children's sensory development by creating curiosity and expanding their understanding of the world around them.

The Importance of Play

blaketonkin1_ — 2024-03-05 17:53:51 UTC

Children gain skills and knowledge through the use of play. Through their engagement in play, they use their senses to explore.

Face-to-face interactions create effective play (social).
Speak, singing, and smiling demonstrate relationships (language).
Relational Play connects objects in play and imitation of the use of objects (cognitive).
Constructive Play allows for the use of open-ended materials such as paint, blocks, and sand to create something (cognitive).
Symbolic Play is pretend play through acting out and imagination (social).
Rough-and-tumble play is physical, engaging play among children (physical).

Developmentally Appropriate Materials

blaketonkin1_ — 2024-03-05 18:39:50 UTC

Materials used for play set the stage for learning. Children explore materials but parents and caregivers can make the experience of creative play meaningful. Materials selected for play should be:

Culturally relevant
Developmentally Appropriate: Such as reading books with a toddler to support development
- Emotional: Book reading
- Social: Looking at books with a parent or caregiver
- Motor: Turning the pages of the book
- Language: Caregivers read, look at pictures, and new words
- Cognitive: Children introduced to new words and pictures
Linked to the child's interest

Adapting and Supporting Children with Special Needs in Play

blaketonkin1_ — 2024-03-05 18:42:15 UTC

Toys and materials should be engaging and provide the children with the opportunity to developmentally appropriate challenges and successes.
Providing toys that allow for the exploration of the senses such as smell, touch, sight, and sounds is important for the child's learning and development.
Depending on the child's individual needs, toys may need to be modified to best suit their needs to achieve their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals.
- Large knobs
- Handles
- Adding fabric to books to make it easier to turn pages
- Equipment for positioning of toys for children in wheelchairs