Guided Play Sheet 1
Construction
Very young children first start investigating construction by realising the power and joy of being able to knock down a tower and then find it can be rebuilt.
They experience a great sense of satisfaction as they become able to build something themselves.
They learn to solve technical problems, bridging gaps, making things balance, finding out how many small bricks match the size of one large brick.
These skills of manipulation and hand eye co-ordination improve as they handle and fit together the pieces.
They may be willing to work with others taking turns and sharing plans.
Their mathematical understanding increases: Making estimations - e.g. how many bricks are needed. Comparisons - e.g. widest, tallest, shortest. They increase their understanding of numbers. Their imagination increases. They can create whatever they like and they can also become part of the adult world; imagining the role of a builder or construction worker.
Play is fun, but new skills often need encouragement. Construction Toys give an ideal opportunity to help increase a wide variety of skills, knowledge and language.
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Guided Play Sheet 2
Board Games
In an age of rapidly changing technology, the playing of board games seems to have dropped in popularity over the past few years. But there are many benefits from paying board games, especially in a family unit.
Games are FUN. They are an inexpensive way to create family fun and provide a great bonding time between family members which will be treasured for years to come.
Games are SOCIAL. They allow time to communicate and share together, taking turns and enjoying each other’s company. They help relaxation and relieve stress.
Games are EDUCATIONAL. They help to develop and improve skills; memory, recognition of letters, numbers and colours; counting skills and mathematical concepts. They make us think, solving problems, widening language and improving attention span.
Research has shown that children learn quicker by playing games and that at all ages they have a positive effect on our mental health. So have a look at what is available at the Toy Library and enjoy some family fun.
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Guided Play Sheet 3
Pretend Play
A child’s imagination is something to be encouraged as it has a valuable part in their social, emotional, physical and creative development as well as greatly extending their communication skills.
It gives opportunity to act out the roles of their parent/carer, e.g. doing domestic chores, shopping, caring for the baby (doll), and allows time to act out life situations that they may feel unsure about, e.g. parental expectations, visits to doctors, dentists, school or a new arrival in the family.
It helps them to understand more about other roles in life and allows them to develop ideas and fantasies. This can be widened by introducing dressing up clothes and hats. At the same time other skills are being developed e.g. dressing skills, sorting skills, an understanding of money and a deeper knowledge of the world they live in.
Using small world toys e.g. farms, dolls houses, train sets etc. gives the opportunity for the child to be able to be in charge, to plan situations and make choices either alone or as a group.
Pretend play doesn’t need to be expensive; cardboard boxes can be whatever you want them to be – cots, boats, petrol pumps!
These imaginative skills continue to show their value as the child grows and develops helping in such things as creative writing at school and assisting in the working out of life’s difficult situations.
One of the most valuable times spent as a parent/carer is that of sharing a book with a young child. To find a comfortable and relaxing place to share together with a book helps build your relationship and ways of communicating and adds a feeling of security for the child.
Today’s babies are born into a noisy world and due to this they learn quickly to shut out noise. Listening skills are very important for both their education and safety and time sharing books will greatly encourage this. As you talk about pictures, say or sing rhymes and read age appropriate stories (remembering that attention span is short at first), children will learn new vocabulary and language skills, enjoying repetition and new sounds.
They will find out more about the world they live in, and at times may find stories reassure them about experiences and situations in their life. Books encourage the imagination, creativity and help them to express emotions and humour. Sharing books allows children to realise that marks on paper have a meaning, and gradually they begin to recognise letters and words.
The joy of sharing books should continue through many years of a child’s life and even after they have learnt to read for themselves, the joy of listening to a story read by an adult with lots of expression and feeling can still have a special part to play in a child’s life.
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Guided Play Sheet 4
Story Time
Today’s babies are born into a noisy world and due to this they learn quickly to shut out noise. Listening skills are very important for both their education and safety and time sharing books will greatly encourage this. As you talk about pictures, say or sing rhymes and read age appropriate stories (remembering that attention span is short at first), children will learn new vocabulary and language skills, enjoying repetition and new sounds.
They will find out more about the world they live in, and at times may find stories reassure them about experiences and situations in their life. Books encourage the imagination, creativity and help them to express emotions and humour. Sharing books allows children to realise that marks on paper have a meaning, and gradually they begin to recognise letters and words.
The joy of sharing books should continue through many years of a child’s life and even after they have learnt to read for themselves, the joy of listening to a story read by an adult with lots of expression and feeling can still have a special part to play in a child’s life.
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Guided Play Sheet 5
Dough
Most children love playing with dough. It can have a calming influence either as they squeeze and pummel the dough or by getting rid of anger as they thump the dough. Playing together with dough is a good time for sharing and opportunity for conversation. Children can be creative and imaginative in their play as their pieces change from a snake to a cake.
The more you involve the children, the more they will learn from it. e.g. by making the dough with them they can learn about measurements and counting. By making different coloured dough and allowing them to mix them, they will find out about colour changes.
There are many different types of dough; some you just mix, which are suitable for your child to help to make. Others will need cooking which will last for a long time when kept in the fridge. Some can be cooked after playing with to make pretend food for models, which can later be painted.
Dough can be messy, but if you're well prepared, covering the table, finding a suitable area, and giving the time to supervise, the benefits will outweigh this.
The joy of dough can be added to by providing different accessories e.g. cutters and rolling pins or plastic animals/dinosaurs/twigs, making fields, hedges, caves etc with the dough.
