Conclusion Facilitating the play types in practice to ensure children experience a range of opportunities and experiences requires space, permission and variety. Outdoor space is a critical component of a play setting. Where space is insufficient for children’s needs, for example too small or lacking outdoor space, we are likely to observe the absence of a full range of play behaviours expressed by children.
References Sutton-Smith, B. (2011) Play as Emotional Survival. Film. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/ipa2011videos
1
Hughes, B. (2002) A Playworker’s Taxonomy of Play Types, 2nd edition. London: PLAYLINK and Hughes, B. (2006) Play Types: Speculations and Possibilities. London: The London Centre for Playwork Education and Training.
2
Bateson, G. (1972) Steps to an ecology of mind. San Francisco: Chandler.
3
Hughes, B. (2001) The First Claim… A framework for playwork quality assessment. Cardiff: Play Wales, and Ely: Play Education.
4
Else, P. (2009) The Value of Play. London: Continuum. 5
Gladwin, M. (2005) Participants’ Perceptions of Risk in Play in Middle Childhood. Unpublished Masters Dissertation. Leeds Metropolitan University.
6
Garvey, C. (1990) Play. Enlarged edition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
7
Hutt, C. (1966) Exploration and Play in Children. In: Bruner, J. S., Jolly, A. and Sylva, K. (eds.) (1976) Play: Its role in development and evolution. New York: Penguin. Ch.18.
8
Singer, J. L. (1995) Imaginative Play in Childhood: Precursor of Subjunctive Thoughts, Daydreams, and Adult Pretending Games. In: Pellegrini, A. D. (ed.) The Future of Play Theory. Albany: State University of New York Press. Ch.9.
9
Permission is arguably the most significant influence when facilitating play types. In practice, it means to enable children to feel ‘we are allowed to be here and do what we do’ without being judged. It requires tolerance, approval and empowerment. Without permission children will not feel ownership of the play space nor freedom within it. All play types benefit from a varied environment supported by a range of basic materials and props. They need to offer flexibility and novelty, and they can and should be provided with little expense.
10
Play Types: Speculations and Possibilities.
Ariel, S. (2002) Children’s Imaginative Play: A visit to wonderland. Westport: Praeger.
11
12
A Playworker’s Taxonomy of Play Types.
Power, T. (2000) Play and Exploration in Children and Animals. New Jersey: Erlbaum.
13
14
Ibid.
15
Play.
16
Play Types: Speculations and Possibilities.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
Brown, F. and Webb, S. (2005) Children without play, Journal of education, no.35.
19
Freud, S. (1974) The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud, 24 volumes, (translated). London: Hogarth Press, Institute of Psycho-analysis.
20
Nourot, P. M. (2006) Sociodramatic Play Pretending Together. In: Fromberg, D. P. and Bergen, D. (eds.) (2006) Play From Birth to Twelve: Contexts, Perspectives, and Meanings. London: Routledge. Ch. 10.
21
Isenberg, J. and Jacobs, E. (1983) Literacy and symbolic play: A review of the literature. Childhood Education, 59 (4), 272-276.
22