The Role of Play Throughout Life

Amanda HamannEducational Psychology

October 31, 2012

What is Play?

• Play is intrinsically motivated, noninstrumental, or life preserving behavior.

• Piaget’s Definition of Play

• Characteristics of play

Benefits of Play• Helps refine and develop skills

• Play versus reality

• Symbolic Play

Parent’s and Play

• Parent’s thoughts on play

• Ways to encourage play

• Parent’s important role in child’s play

Play in the Classroom

• Room Setup

• Curriculum

• Teacher Roles in Child’s Play

Play As We Age

• Children – 3 to 6 years old

• Middle childhood- 7 to 12 years

• Adolescence- 13 to 18 years

• Adults- 18 and older

Video

• www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOxjQ4kTA4

True/ False Questions

• Play is becoming more like imitation.

• Parent’s have an important role in their child’s play.

• Teacher’s should interact with everyone in the room, and encourage their students to try new experiences.

References• AspenRayneDragon (2011, April 12). Kids Playing House- cute kids video [Video File]. Retrieved

from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOxjQ4kTA4• Biehler, R. F., Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2012). Psychology applied to teaching (13rd ed.).

Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cenage Learning. • Bruner, J. S., Jolly, A., & Sylva, K. (1976). Play: Its role in development and evolution. New York:

Basic Books. • Carlsson-Paige, N., & Carlsson-Paige, N. (2009). Taking back childhood: A proven road map for

raising confident, creative, compassionate kids. New York: Plume. • Chance, P., Johnson & Johnson Baby Products Company, & Round Table on Play and Learning.

(1979). Learning through play: Summary of a pediatric round table cochaired by Brian Sutton-Smith, Ph. D., and Richard Chase, M.D. New Brunswick, N.J: The Company.

• Göncu, A., & Klein, E. (2001). Children in play, story, and school. New York: Guilford Press. • Isenberg, J. P., & Jalongo, M. R. (2001). Creative expression and play in early childhood (3rd ed.).

Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill. • Marzollo, J., & Lloyd, J. (1972). Learning through play. New York: Harper & Row. • Singer, D. G., & Singer, J. L. (1990). The house of make-believe: Children's play and the developing

imagination. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. • Slade, A., & Wolf, D. (1994). Children at play: Clinical and developmental approaches to meaning

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