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Importance of Play

Forum References FAQ's Quiz Lecture Introduction Current research shows that play develops the foundation for social, cognitive (learning and thinking), emotional and language skills (Rubin, Fein, & Vandenberg, 1983). It is through play that children learn about the world around them. While playing, children test ideas, ask questions, and come up with answers. For instance, in playing with nesting blocks, the child learns about size relationships - she learns that smaller blocks fit inside larger ones. She learns cause and effect as she builds her blocks higher and higher until they come crashing down. And when her blocks come tumbling down, she can link that to the world of experiences and ideas by using the language we are teaching her.

Levels of Play

Stage 1 (9 to 12 months)

  • Child is aware that toys exist and will search for a toy that has been removed from sight (e.g., finds a toy hidden under a blanket or behind your back).
  • Child understands that motor actions/body movements can help him get toys (e.g., child will pull a toy by its string or crawl to get a toy out of reach).
  • Child puts many toys in his mouth or bangs them against the floor or his body. Uses some toys appropriately.

Stage 2 (13 to 17 months)

  • Child uses several different body movements to explore how toys work (e.g., pushes buttons or switches, squeezes talking toys, turns knobs).
  • Child hands a toy to an adult if she is unable to make it work.
  • Child engages in turn-taking games with others, such as rolling a ball back and forth.

Stage 3 (17 to 19 months)

  • Child begins to pretend during play. For example, he pretends to sleep, drink from a cup or eat from a spoon using his own body for these actions.
  • Child imitates the actions of other children.
  • Child uses most common objects and toys appropriately ("drives" car across the floor, puts items in containers, turns the pages of a board book).

Stage 4 (19 to 22 months)

  • Child’s play begins to move beyond herself. She plays with dolls by brushing their hair, feeding them with a bottle or covering them with blankets.
  • Child performs "pretend" activities on more than one person or object (e.g., feeds self, doll, mother and another child).
  • Child performs two play together (e.g., puts a spoon in a pan or pours from a pot into a cup)

 

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