The next eight weeks I will be talking a lot about play. Now I do not claim to be an expert on play, since this is more of an occupational therapy area of expertise. I am not trying to move into your space, OT’s. Play is kind of like everyone’s business however – because a lot of different development happens in play. I use play as a way of helping children with their language learning. It also can be lots and lots of fun.
Most importantly, when you sit face to face with a child and join them in their play, that child is going to be connected to you. If your child does not play with you at all , it might be important to start with “people games” (see resource from www.hanen.org). Joining a child in their play does not mean playing the way you think but following your child’s ideas in the play. If your child gets stuck on the same idea or toys, you can help by adding new ideas. Encourage your child to think of new ways to use the toy or put out different toys.
This may be an opportunity to learn a few more things about play as we go along …
- The different types of play
- How to introduce new ideas in play
- How to extend play
- The words to use – easy, harder words that match the play
The Evidence in Dot Points – Penguin will be talking about the benefit of play
The It’s not Rocket Science – Rocket will be talking about how you can take the time to play.
We will also be introducing a resource that I will add to each month called – The ABC of Play. I will find 4 objects/toys per month and talk about how you might play with the toys and words you can use while playing. You can present these four items to your child and see which they choose to play with. Have fun playing!