Better Kid Care:
Play is the Business of Kids
Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension
Table of Contents
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The Importance of Play
From an Adult Viewpoint....
It often seems that all children do is play! They play until they
are five or six, then they go off to school and start to learn.
They play until they are big enough to really begin to do things.
So it seems to grown-ups.
From a Child's Viewpoint....
Play takes on a very different meaning. Play to a child IS learning!
They learn to play and play to learn. Play is terribly important
to a child. It is not a distraction. It's not something they do
to take up time. It's the child's life.
At birth the infant is a pioneer setting forth to explore a very
new and very strange place. She does not know how the world works.
She does not know that when you drop something it goes down, that
balls roll, or that things far away look smaller than they really
are. Infants are born beginners in life. They have to set about
learning everything! And learning everything about everything!!
Not only does the newborn not know these worldly things, she doesn't
know that she can learn to do the things she needs to do to get
along in the world. She doesn't know that she can learn to turn
over, sit up, walk, feed herself, dress herself, ride a bike, be
a friend, or even talk.
But she does learn all these things - and she learns them in the
four or five years before she goes to school.
We know that the young child learns more sheer practical knowledge
during the early years than at any other time in life. In these
early years, the young child is finding out what the world is like.
She is exploring her abilities to cope with it.
From Birth To...
The young child sets out to meet her needs, to explore and do.
At birth her five senses are working. At first she has little muscular
control over her body. By the end of the first year she has begun
to coordinate the use of her eyes and hands and will soon be able
to go everywhere on her own two feet.
The young child is curious, and that curiosity is never satisfied.
She throws herself into the business of learning. Through her experiences
with things, she learns the nature of common materials. She works
at doing simple things. She "tries out" and "tries
on" much of what she sees and hears in make-believe play. She
makes the learning a part of herself.
By the time a child is five or so years old, if all has gone well,
she is on first-person, first-hand terms with her immediate surroundings.
She knows what common things are like, what they will do, and what
she can do with them. She has learned these lessons in the best
possible way - through play.
Play Is Fun
It is also vitally important. She must learn if she is to grow
and thrive.
Young children do not learn in the same manner as older children
do. Young children learn by actual contact with real objects, events,
and people. (That's why field trips, outdoor play, and other exciting
activities are so important.)
A child learns by involving himself, all of himself, in exploring,
discovering, repeating, and by continually adapting what he sees
into his daily life. He learns to talk by learning the name of the
object he holds in his hand, and describing the activity he is engaged
in.
The young child is not yet prepared to learn by words alone. The
child does not learn by explanations or descriptions of things that
are far off in time or space. She is learning words, their uses
and meaning in the situation at hand. Because the young child can
repeat words so easily, it is easy to be fooled into thinking that
she understands what she is talking about. It is easy to be fooled
into thinking that the young child has grasped the meaning behind
the words.
We need only try to read a page of words in a foreign language
to realize that words alone do not have meanings. Someone once said
that words are like empty cups. It is only through varied, first-person
real life experience that words are filled with meaning for the
young child.
The Home
The home, your child care home, affects the child, her play and
her learning. For play to result in good learning, the child must
first participate in the varied life going on around her, and then
she must have a chance to try out what she learned for herself.
Young Children's Play and Toys
"Let's go play!" "What can we play?" "Come
on out and play!" These are some of the familiar and frequent
cries of children. It seems impossible to think about childhood
or young children without also thinking about play. Play and playing
are vital parts of children's lives. For children, play is life
itself.
Through play, children learn how to learn and how to do things.
Play is learning, trying, being, and feeling. Children learn many
things about themselves, others, and the world through play. They
learn concepts, relationships, cause and effect, sizes, colors,
textures, feelings, emotions, sensations, sounds, symbols, and language
among other things.
Play is not something that children do just because they don't
have anything better to do. Play isn't just taking up time or filling
the endless hours of childhood with meaningless activities that
keep kids from bothering adults.
Types of Play
Children's play behavior can be grouped into a few categories or
types and is related to the materials and tools of play. These categories
often overlap and are highly interrelated. Any given play behavior
could fall into several play types. For example:
QUIET PLAY
Quiet play is likely to be encouraged by picture books, bead-stringing,
pegboards, puzzles, doll play, coloring with crayons, etc.
CREATIVE PLAY
Creativity has a broad meaning and play of this nature includes
many things, such as painting, drawing, problem solving, music,
dancing, getting along with others, play dough, sand, collage, the
use of imagination, etc.
ACTIVE PLAY
Active play can be stimulated by the use of balls, slides, swings,
push-pull toys, sand and water play, games, crates and blocks, riding
tikes and bikes, running around, climbing trees, and the use of
indoor materials like rhythm band, bean bag toss, "dress-up"
clothes, cars and trucks, etc.
COOPERATIVE PLAY
Play that requires more than one person, such as ball games, tag,
see-saws, playing dolls or house, block building, some swings, hide
and seek, etc.
DRAMATIC PLAY
Dramatic and creative play may also be called social play. In this
type of play, children try out different kinds of life roles, occupations,
and activities, such as firefighter, actor, actress, mother, dad,
astronaut, dancer, singer, farmer, doctor, nurse, soldier, etc.
This play may be done quietly or actively, alone or with others,
such as playing with dolls or action figures.
MANIPULATIVE PLAY
Play that involves the use of hands, muscles, and eyes. It helps
to develop coordination and a wide variety of skills. Playing with
puzzles, crayons, painting, cutting with scissors, stringing beads,
the use of tools, block building, dolls, and trucks are examples.
Toys
There is an almost endless variety of products and toys designed
for children. Some of these products are good and some are harmful.
But how do you know which is which? The main idea is to try to "pick
the right toy for the right child at the right time." Here
are a few suggestions that you may find helpful.
Characteristics of Suitable Toys
Ask yourself these questions:
ARE THEY SAFE?
There is no absolute safety against accident or injury, but reasonable
precaution should be used. Toys should be selected with great care.
Any toy can be unsafe if given to the wrong child, to a child at
the wrong age, or when it is misused. A child's safety depends upon
the types of toys selected, the way they are maintained and the
amount of safe handling taught and practiced in the home.
ARE THEY DURABLE?
Toys are going to be used, mauled, hugged, dropped, thrown, stood
on, chewed on, washed, dried, etc., so they need to stand up under
normal wear and tear.
ARE THEY APPROPRIATE TO THE AGE OF THE CHILD?
A toy should be selected according to the unique and individual
needs, abilities, physical, and emotional characteristics of the
child. But, the child should be able to use the toy today! One doesn't
buy a twowheel bicycle for a toddler or a crib mobile for a schoolage
child. Many toys should allow for growth, such as blocks, which
can be used in many different ways over a long period of time.
DO THEY WORK?
Do they do what they are supposed to do? Nothing causes loss of
interest as readily as a toy that fails to perform. It often results
in frustration, anger, and discouragement .
DO THEY CAPTURE THE CHILD'S INTEREST?
One doesn't have to coax, force or trick a child into playing with
a good toy. The play is spontaneous. It should reflect the child's,
not the adult's, interests. Toys which can be used for a variety
of purposes keep the child's interest longer than those with only
one use.
ARE THEY FUN?
That is, are they fun from the child's point of view? Are they for
enjoyment now? Can they be used at various ages?
DO THEY STIMULATE CREATIVE ACTIVITY?
Can the toys offer problem-solving opportunities? Do they leave
room for imagination? Imagination isn't only concerned with unreal
things, but also with reality, and it involves planning, ideas,
and creating. Do they teach new skills?
DO THEY INVOLVE INTERACTION WITH OTHERS?
Must the child play alone with the toys or can others such as peers,
siblings or adults be involved too?
CAN THEY BE KEPT CLEAN EASILY?
Rag dolls, animals and the like should be the kind which can be
washed or scrubbed, or at least have removable clothes which should
be laundered often.
ARE THEY ARTISTIC IN COLOR, FORM, AND EXPRESSION?
Avoid ugly or grotesque figures and toys that make harsh, jangling
noises.
CHARACTERISTICS OF UNSUITABLE TOYS
Ask yourself these questions:
ARE THEY UNSAFE?
Unsafe toys have one or more of these characteristics: sharp corners,
edges, and protrusions; shoot objects; are flammable; have easily
lost or broken parts; toxic paint; are poorly constructed; might
give an electrical shock; use glass instead of plastic in toy car,
truck, or airplane windows, etc.; have detachable parts, like button
eyes, that can be put into mouth, ears, nose; have fluffy trimmings
that can be pulled or torn off and put into the mouth; are stuffed
with toxic or non-hygienic material.
DO THEY OFFER LITTLE OR NO CHANCE OF INTERACTION?
Wind-up or automated toys are a good example. They are poor toys
because the child cannot direct the action. Wind-up or automated
toys have a life of their own. They go through the same tricks or
movements over and over again. Plus, they are often complicated,
delicate, easily broken, unrepairable, dangerous, expensive and
tend to foster spectator behavior rather than participation and
activity.
- ARE THEY TOO MATURE FOR A CERTAIN CHILD?
- DO THEY APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO MISBEHAVIOR, STIMULATE TOO MUCH
EXCITEMENT, AGGRESSION, OR DANGEROUS PLAY?
- DO THEY FOSTER VALUES YOU AND THE CHILDREN'S PARENTS DO NOT
UPHOLD?
- DO THEY CAUSE ANGER AND/OR FRUSTRATION?
- DO THEY COST TOO MUCH?
What should be done if a dangerous or unsafe toy is found on the
store shelf ? It seems logical that no one would intentionally buy
and give to a child a dangerous or unsafe toy. Yet it happens because
unsafe and dangerous toys and products still appear in stores.
Here are a few suggestions on how to deal with that situation:
- Don't buy it.
- Bring it to the attention of the store manager, in a straightforward
manner. Make your ideas and opinions clear so the manager understands
your point of view. You are a professional caregiver. Believe
in yourself and your beliefs.
CHILDREN'S PLAY TOOLS: TOYS
Children of all ages play in many ways with an endless variety
of "toys." There is no all-inclusive list of toys or the
ways that children play with them. One has only to watch a child
at play to realize that well-chosen toys are important to early
and healthy development.
Play materials may be divided into a number of groups:
TOYS FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT :
wagon to steer and coast; brooms and shovels; small, but strong
garden tools; balls; planks; jump ropes; scooters and tricycles;
boxes, ladders, and boards; knock-out bench; and puzzles
TOYS FOR SENSE DEVELOPMENT (touching, hearing, seeing, smelling,
or tasting):
water toys, bubble pipes, musical instruments, toy piano, xylophones,
sand toys, pegboards, large wooden beads and string, puzzles
TOYS FOR CREATIVE WORK:
clay or crayons and paints, colored paper, children's safety scissors,
paste
TOYS FOR MAKE-BELIEVE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT :
dolls with washable clothes, adult "dress-up" clothes,
cars and airplanes, broom, sweeper, mop, dishes, play-store toys
TOYS TO BE USED FOR BUILDING:
blocks, boards, boxes
A Short Course on Play and Playthings
adapted from Irene Lee
[The following information has been altered from its original format
so that it can be distributed electronically. The original chart
lists the SKILLS ASSOCIATED WITH PLAY, APPROPRIATE PLAYTHINGS, and
WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO for each of the age levels.]
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CHILD'S AGE LEVEL: 0 - 18 MONTHS
PERCEPTION: mobiles - hung over the crib about a foot from the baby's
eye level, small fish tank placed near the crib, posters - pasted
on the ceiling or walls, music boxes, wind chimes, toy mirrors
MANIPULATION OF OBJECTS (mouth play and hand play): rattles, pounding
and stacking toys, squeeze toys, teething toys, spoon in cup, floating
tub toys, picture blocks, string of BIG beads, stuffed animals,
balls
EXPLORATION (pushing buttons and pulling levers): crib-gym exercises,
push-pull toys, small take-apart toys, pots and pans
SPACIAL RELATIONSHIPS, SHAPES AND SIZES: nested boxes or cups,
blocks, large puzzles, plastic containers of different sizes
COGNITION: books with rhymes, pictures, jingles, records, musical
and chime toys
LOCOMOTION: set of building blocks, large dolls, toys to crawl
after, pounding toys
WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
- Be available to play.
- Respond to baby's sounds.
- Smile at the baby. Let baby play with your fingers.
- Talk with baby.
- Play "pat-a-cake" and catch games.
- Play "peek-a-boo," "bye-bye," and hiding
games.
- Make faces in a mirror.
- Sing to baby.
- Play at "losing" and finding things.
- Name objects as you give them to the baby.
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CHILD'S AGE LEVEL: 18 MONTHS - 3 YEARS
GROSS MOTOR: first tricycle, wagon to get into, rocking horse, large
balls, outdoor play equipment, push-pull toys
FINE MOTOR: weaving sets, art materials, peg boards, clothes pins
for tossing into an open pan, large balls, wheel barrows, sandbox
toys, blocks of different shapes and sizes
EXPLORATION: sandbox, child-size play furniture, play appliances
and utensils, handmade materials, doll furniture, large packing
boxes for climbing in and out
SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION: simple dress-up clothes, stuffed animals
dolls, tea sets
PROBLEM SOLVING: various size boxes, simple puzzles, games, stringing
large beads, take-apart toys with parts that snap together, construction
toys that snap together
CREATIVITY: clay and modeling dough, blocks, large crayons, non-electric
trains, blackboard and chalk, simple musical instruments, finger
paints, safety scissors, paper and pencils
LANGUAGE: picture books, children's magazines, tapes of stories
WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
- Pretend-play (create a traffic jam with a toy car).
- Play tag, bounce, catch, and empty-fill games.
- Hide things; "lose" things, and let children hide
things from you.
- Build something with blocks.
- Play "guess what it is."
- Tell stories and let children supply missing words.
- Reverse roles (you be the child; child be the caregiver).
- Play follow-the-leader.
- Play guessing games.
- Act out stories.
- Let children imitate your activities (such as washing dishes
and cleaning house).
- Notice the child's play and praise efforts.
- Help children to classify objects.
- Sing to children.
- Go on field trips in the backyard.
- Take children to library.
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CHILD'S AGE LEVEL: 3 - 6 YEARS
SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL: additional dress-up outfits, bathing and
feeding doll, puppets and theaters, store-keeping toys, toy phone
and toy clock, playhouses, housekeeping toys, toy soldiers, dolls
for dressing and undressing, large puzzles, outdoor play equipment,
board games
PROBLEM SOLVING: farm, village, and other play sets, small trucks,
cars, planes, and boats; beads, blocks, buttons, peg board, simple
construction sets, housekeeping toys, trains, race car sets, balls
FORM AND SPACIAL RELATIONSHIPS: simple puzzles, set of plastic
measuring cups, large tricycles, sleds, cookie cutters, wagons,
scooters, swings, backyard gym sets and jungle gyms, empty cardboard
boxes, seesaws, monkey bars, rope swings
CREATIVITY: crayons, children's safety scissors, finger paints,
clay, sketch pads, paste, rhythm instruments
LANGUAGE: story books, books on cassette tapes, radio, TV
WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
- Reverse roles.
- Make-believe telephone conversations.
- Play hide-and-seek.
- Improvise characters doing routine things.
- Practice motor skills with card and board games.
- Play games of courage.
- Play "counting" and "number" games.
- Provide children with the materials and environment needed for
good, healthy play.
- Do gymnastics.
- Mimic animals and people.
- Use hand puppets with different voices.
- Listen to and talk about dreams.
- Tell "what-if' stories.
- Act out fairy tales.
- Read to the children.
- Teach children to identify different sizes and shapes with cookie
cutters and baking pans.
- Play "matching" games.
- Describe activities that are taking place while you are doing
household chores.
- Encourage children to create stories while looking through books
and magazines.
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CHILD'S AGE LEVEL: 6 - 9 YEARS
SOCIAL: board games, tabletop sport games, organized sports, hobby
kits, kites, balls, skates, bikes
INTELLECTUAL: dolls, toy typewriter, printing set, racing car,
construction sets, science and craft kits, handicrafts, sports and
hobbies, books, tapes, puzzles
SPACIAL RELATIONSHIPS (moving confidently through space): large
bicycles, ice and roller skates, pogo stick, scooter
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: costumes, doll houses, play villages,
miniature people and vehicles, magic sets, art materials
WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
- Be observant of children's play.
- Ask "What did it look like?" and "What did it
feel like?"
- Play make-believe games.
- Build things.
- Play competitively at games and play situations.
- Improvise imaginary characters and play situations.
- Play theater and puppet dramas.
- Encourage creative writing and poetry.
- Play work games.
- Attach names to objects.
- Play sandlot sports.
- Tell jokes and riddles.
- Read to the children.
- Let the children read to you.
- Help children to organize and clarify things.
- Take children to the library.
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CHILD'S AGE LEVEL: 9 - 12 Years
PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL: model kits, crafts, bicycles, rubber
horseshoes, pogo sticks, ice and roller skates, grooming and housekeeping
toys, rope, ladders, stilts, rackets, chemistry and other science
kits, frisbees, magic sets, advanced construction sets and handicraft
kits, toy models, puzzles, basketball equipment, building sets,
jigsaw puzzles, books, tool benches, computers
SOCIAL: card and board games, checkers and chess, table tennis
and billiards, sport toys and games, bats, balls, team sports
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: puppets and marionettes, drawing sets,
workshop tools, costumes, action and career dolls
EXPLORATION: compasses, magnifying glasses, microscopes and telescopes,
magnets, bicycles
WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
- Play skill games.
- Be a referee.
- Pose riddles.
- Teach magic tricks.
- Indulge in nonsense.
- Play vehicle games.
- Ride together on bicycles.
- Jump rope together.
- Build things together.
- Improvise exaggerated characters.
- Play guessing games.
- Play make-believe, like going shopping or building something.
- Encourage hobbies such as stamp, rock, or coin collecting.
- Ask questions.
- Play sports.
- Call attention to qualities, similarities, and differences.
- Read to the children.
- Be flexible.
- Do science projects.
- Grow things - flowers, vegetables.
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DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National
Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research
Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole
or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond
the cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive
acknowledgment and this notice is included:
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care
- NNCC. (1994). Play is the business of kids. In *Better Kid Care:
A video learn-at-home unit* (pp. 3-18). University Park, PA: Pennsylvania
State University Cooperative Extension.
Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved
by the author.
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ACCESS
Better Kid Care Learn-at-Home Video Project
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