1. Unit 7 Support children’s play in early years

2. Learning Outcomes
LO3 Understand how children play during different stages of development.
AC 3.1 Explain:
Child-initiated play
Adult-led play.
AC 3.2 Identify how children’s play needs and preferences change in relation to their stage of development.

3. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Time: 10 mins
Are there any toys or games that you kept hold of even when others thought you were ‘too old’ for them?
Consider:
Dolls or action figures
Soft toys
Construction toys
Character toys
Board games
Electronic toys.
Why did you keep them?

4. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Child-initiated play
It is important that when planning for play, practitioners provide a wide variety of activities and experiences.
This will include planning for a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities.

5. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Child-initiated play
Child-initiated play involves a child or children choosing how they play with toys or equipment.
A practitioner could put out a bucket of cars and trucks. Child-initiated play will mean that the children will choose what to do with them.

6. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Time: 15 mins
You have put out a bucket of cars and trucks and left it for the children to play. Identify the different ways the children may use these toys.
Consider:
Where they might take them
Imaginative play
Physical play
Creative play.
Examples: take them to the sand tray, match them, sort them, line them up, printing in the paint, take them outdoors in the leaves or mud, combine them with another activity such as small world.

7. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Adult-led play
Adult-led play will be planned to cover what a practitioner wants a child to learn or experience.
Practitioners will follow the guidance of the relevant curriculum in order to plan their adult-led play.
A practitioner could put out a bucket of cars and trucks. Adult-led play would involve the children following the practitioner’s guidance or suggestions.

8. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Time: 15 mins
You have put out a bucket of cars and trucks and you want the children to learn or experience specific skills. Identify the different ways you could ask the children to use the cars and trucks.
Consider:
Cognitive development
Social skills
Imaginative development
Physical development
Creative development.
Examples: colour matching, sorting into number of wheels or doors etc., size ordering, painting tyre tracks, storytelling using the vehicles, predicting how many, sharing, taking turns, listening to others.

9. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Adult-led play
Adult-led play can lead to child-initiated play.
A practitioner may set out the cars and trucks and ask the children to sort them into coloured pots or trays.
The children may start by doing this activity, and then they lead it on to something else, such us lining them up in size order.
Adults should not interrupt child-initiated play and should only join in if asked, or if the play is becoming unsafe.

10. Children’s play needs and preferences
3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Children’s play needs and preferences
Practitioners will plan according to the age and stage of the children.
Children’s needs and preferences should be taken into account when planning.
As children grow and develop, their needs and preferences will change, but children may still choose to play with toys that are considered ‘too young’ for them.

11. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Time: 25 mins
Create a chart to show suitable toys and activities for children aged from birth to 7 years.
For each age, identify a toy or activity for:
Physical play
Creative play
Imaginative play
Sensory play.
Include the following age ranges: birth–6 months, 6 months–1 year, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, 5–7 years.
Learners can use images from catalogues and the internet, or include a description of an activity.
A range of age-appropriate equipment should be included.
A development of equipment should be shown, i.e. rattles on to shakers on to more complicated handheld toys.

12. Children’s play needs and preferences
3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Children’s play needs and preferences
Practitioners should plan activities that stretch and challenge children.
Some children may refuse to take part in activities because they see them as ‘babyish’.
Some children may want to explore ‘baby toys’ and be fascinated by what they do.
It is important that all activities are carefully planned in relation to a child’s individual stage of development.

13. Children’s play needs and preferences
3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Children’s play needs and preferences
Children’s play needs and preferences will change as they grow and develop.
It is important that practitioners reflect this in their planning, but also allow for children to choose what they want to do.
For example, a child may choose to play with a baby doll because they have a new sibling at home.
There is no set rate of play development: children will all develop at their own pace.

14. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Time: 15 mins
Discuss how your setting plans for a wide range of play needs.
Consider:
The age and stage of the children
Children’s current interests
Investigating toys
Stretch and challenge
Free choice.
Learners should discuss how children are offered a good balance of activities.
Activities should stretch and challenge children's current skills and abilities.
Some children will ‘choose’ the same activity over and over again. While there are benefits to this, they will need to be encouraged to move on to something new and challenging.
Children should also be allowed to choose toys and activities, and should not be told they are ‘too simple’ or ‘too young’ for them, as children can learn from revisiting and investigating toys from a previous stage of development.
Learners should discuss whether their setting is stimulating children with a rich variety of play experiences.

15. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.1)
Time: 15 mins
Reflect on your own ability to observe child-initiated play.
Consider:
Are you able to stand back and watch without joining in?
Do you feel that there is often a ‘better’ way for children to do things?
Does it make you cross if children take an activity in a different direction to the one you had planned?
Why?
What are the benefits of child-initiated play?
Some learners will find it difficult to observe children without making lots of suggestions as to how it could be done differently.
This activity will encourage learners to reflect on their own ability to allow children to lead play and problem-solve along the way.

16. 3. Understand how children play during different stages of development (3.2)
Time: 15 mins
Children will change the way they play as they grow and develop, and all children will go through stages of how they play with others.
Identify what is meant by the following terms:
Solitary play
Parallel play
Associative play
Co-operative play.
Learners should source the meaning of each of these important play terms, which will further reinforce how children’s play needs to change according to their stage of development.

17. Summary Child-initiated play will be led by the child.
Adult-led play will be planned by the adult.
As children grow and develop, their play needs and preferences will change accordingly.

18. Plenary
Describe three benefits of child-initiated play.
Give two reasons for planning adult-led play.
Explain the term ‘associative play’.