Play

Play is significant towards the development of the child, it is considered as a universal language of childhood. For a child,  play is way of participating towards the sociological aspect of the world without even realising.

After a child is born he/she will with come across with many things, such as toys and games to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world and of each other thus improving cognitive, imaginative creation, emotional and social development.  It is up to the adults to provide props, time, space, create an environment for the child to grow, the playworker will need to observe the child with time and plan and only participate, only when it is appropriate. 

There are ten characteristics of play:

Active: where children use their imagination and energy to play, and participate with other people.

Adventurous and risky: helps the children to take a step further and explore the unknown. 

Communicative: verbal or non verbal communication towards other children or adults thus sharing knowledge and information.

Enjoyable: pleasure and satisfaction through play.

Involved: when the child is fully concentrated and absorbed in wheat they're doing. 

Meaningful: copying I'm what they've seen or heard and in what they've learned. 

Sociable and interactive: playing with their friends or adults but sometimes they prefer to play alone. 

Symbolic: such as role playing, it can represent past or future.

Therapeutic: helping the child through emotions and experiences.

Voluntary: they choose whether to play or not, it can include changing their roles, imagination, and locations.

Israeli psychologist Sara Smilansky conducted research on dramatic and sociodramatic play in cognitive and socio-emotional development in 1970-80. Smilansky's definition of dramatic play involved four elements: a child observed in role play;  the necessary items that's needed flor the play will transform using make make-believe; in place of actions and situations exclamations and verbal
communications are used; the role plays will last at least ten minutes. 

In a socio-dramatic play setting, all the four points are present and two more: two players are likely to collaborate within the play scene. Second is the verbal communication that is involved. 

Smilansky concluded that sociodramatic play triggers resources that activates social, emotional and intellectual growth in the child, thus affecting the child's success in school. 

The adults role changes during play in early childhood:  during birth to 18 months; likely to provide with interesting and safer toys; introduction of the baby towards the friends and families; communications towards the baby, especially naming and describing things.

Toddler (12 months to 2 years): continuation of secure base to play and explore; the adult will provide favourable circumstances for toddlers to play in small groups or pairs; produce variety of types of play: adult will be actively involved with the play, and adventures. 

Young children 2 1/2 to 6 years: adult will encourage active explorations of the world; continuation of providing a secure base; provides range of materials, time, equipment and space; provides support e.g. assemble a play scenario, describing and discussing scenarios of a play during, before or after,
handling children's conflict and emotional situations.