Children at Play

The sole reason why children play is because it makes them happy. Play is natural for children and can be characterised as spontaneous, energetic, stimulating and relaxing (Flood & Hardy, 2013). Some types of play include discovery, imaginative, physical, creative, manipulative and social play (Minett 2017, p.197). Play is crucial for a child’s holistic development.

Babies and young infants learn through their bodies and senses. Any sensory activity is beneficial to a child at this stage of childhood. Rattles and musical instruments are great for infants as they discover and refine their motor skills while making different sounds allowing them to explore their senses. Messy and creative play activities with paint, play dough, sand and water are beneficial at this stage (NCCA, 2009).

Toddlers and young children are still making sense of the world around them using their bodies and senses. Children at this stage enjoy sensory activities but it is important to make these activities more challenging for the child in order to keep them stimulated.  When playing with sand, challenge the child to create something and ask them what it is. This will promote language as well as physical development (NCCA, 2009). At this stage, children are constantly expanding vocabulary and it is important that they have a language rich environment. Dramatic play begins at this stage. Children make sense of the world through recreating roles and using their imaginations. Dramatic play has many different learning opportunities and can benefit a child’s holistic development (CECDE, 2006).

Play and Society Today

Children should not have to be coerced into play but sadly in society today sometimes they do. Technology is a normal part of Irish society. Most households today own a television, computer, smart phones and/or tablets. Children are spending a lot of time looking at screens, whether it be a television or tablet. Although they may be playing games on gaming consoles, there are no benefits from watching a screen for hours on end. Parents need to be made aware of the benefits of play for a child’s development and get their children active (Early Childhood Ireland, 2015).

Points to Consider

It is important to remember that all children are unique and develop at different stages. What may be enjoyable for one child may frustrating for another. Observation is key to planning developmentally appropriate activities for children. Observation give parents and childcare practitioner’s an insight into the child’s strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes (DCYA, 2016).

Almost all activities that happen indoors can be implemented outdoors. What is better for a child than learning about the world in a natural environment. Irish weather is unpredictable but once children have the right clothing; the outdoor play experiences are endless. When outdoors children play with natural materials such as muck, water and sand. They learn about the natural environment in a fun and exciting way while taking risks in play (Early Childhood Ireland, 2017). Children need play to be exciting and meaningful to keep them stimulated.

References

CECDE (2006) Siolta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, Dublin: CECDE

DCYA (2016) Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education, Dublin: Government Publications.

Early Childhood Ireland (2015) Children’s use of Technology [online] Available at: https://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/childrens-use-of-technology/ [Accessed 29 April 2019]

Early Childhood Ireland (2017) Outdoor Play [online] Available at: https://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/work/quality-practice/play/outdoor-play/ [Accessed 29 April 2019]

Flood, E. & Hardy, C. (2013) Early Childhood Education and Play, Dublin: Gill & Macmillan

Minett, P (2017) Child Care & Development, London; Hodder Education

NCCA (2009) Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, Dublin: NCCA

Parents play a key role in their child’s holistic development as they are the main educators and care givers in a child’s life. It is important for a child attending an early childhood care and education setting that there is a good relationship between their parent’s and the childcare practitioner’s. This is important as it will ensure the child feels safe and secure while attending the setting. Through communicating with parents, the childcare practitioner can ensure that the child’s learning at home and experiences are integrated into their learning in the early year’s settings (CECDE 2009, p.6).

Inclusive Practice
Partnership with parents is key for the childcare setting to show inclusive practice. Ireland is a multicultural diverse society and it is important for childcare practitioners to have a good understanding of the child’s family’s culture and beliefs. The child will feel respected if they see their culture reflected in the environment. If a child has a child has a disability or learning difficulty, effective communication between parents and childcare practitioners is vital to identify the child’s care and educational needs (DCYA 2016, p. 44).

Identity and Belonging
The child will gain a better understanding of themselves and their cultures when they can see their interests and culture integrated into their play and learning, giving the child a strong self-identity. It also provides good learning for the other children as they will grow to understand that others may come from other backgrounds with different cultures and traditions. A child will feel part of the group seeing their peers interested in their cultures and experiences from their own lives (NCCA, 2009).  Asking the parents to come in and speak to the children about their culture is a good way to get the parents involved. This will make both the child and the parent feel that they are respected and that their culture is being reflected in the childcare setting.

Supporting Parents
Communication is only effective if it flows both ways. Parents should be involved in the child’s learning and development and should be consulted about their child’s learning and informed about their child’s day. Formal communication is important but sometimes not always possible. Sometimes parents may arrive just before closing or the child’s main practitioner may be finished there shift already when the parents arrive. ‘Child Paths’ is an app that has been created to keep parents up to date on their child’s experiences and development at the childcare setting. Parents can communicate through the app, sharing photos, tracking milestones and experiences. The Child Paths app has many different functions. The parents can see their child’s activity at setting including what they have ate, and if they have slept. The app allows the parents to see observations that are carried out on the child while at the service and links to Aistear and Siolta (Child Paths, 2014).

Parental Involvement is key to ensure the child gets the best learning opportunities while at the childcare setting. Parents should always be involved in all aspects of the child’s learning and development.

References

CECDE (2006) Síolta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, CECDE: Dublin.

Child Paths. (2014). Child Paths Childcare Software that supports parental interaction. [online] Available at: http://childpaths.ie/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].

DCYA (2016) Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education, Dublin: Government Publications.

NCCA (2009) Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, NCCA: Dublin.

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