Chapter 1. Children at Play

Synopsis

Human Development Video Activity
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You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.
rough‐and‐tumble play
Energetic, interactive, and sometimes aggressive, physical play, such as wrestling and chasing, that has no harmful intent.
Three young boys playing in a stream building boats out of sticks

Children at Play

Three young boys playing in a stream building boats out of sticks

Authors

Lisa Huffman, Ball State University
S. Stavros Valenti, Hofstra University

Synopsis

This activity explores the various types of play, explanations for why children play, and the role of play in child development. To test your mastery, you will be asked to classify the types of play that you observe in several video clips.

REFERENCES

Berger, K. S. (2011). The Developing Person Through the Life Span (8th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.

Pellegrini, A. D., & Smith, P. K. (1998). Physical activity play: The nature and function of a neglected aspect of play. Child Development, 69, 577–598.

Rubin, K. H., Fein, G. G., and Vanderberg, B. (1983). Play. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 693–744). New York: Wiley.

Introduction

Two young boys and two young girls leaping into a swimming pool

We often view children’s play as sweet or amusing to watch but with no specific purpose. What if someone told you about a preschooler who does not play? How would you react? A child who does not play is highly unusual because we know that healthy children should play, but why do we think that? Why do children play? Developmentalists have considered this question for decades, and researchers have discovered that play serves many purposes in child development.

Types of Play

A young girl building with blocks

Researchers have long analyzed children’s quality of play rather than quantity of play and have grouped their play into the following categories.

Functional play is exploration of objects that allows infants and children to learn what they can do with objects and what objects can do. Functional play includes simple repetitive actions, such as blowing a whistle, bouncing a ball, or throwing bean‐bags. This type of play improves children’s motor and coordination skills.

Physical play involves repetitive muscular activities that are physically vigorous. This play includes running, jumping, and rough‐and‐tumble play. Like functional play, physical play improves children’s motor and coordination skills. Physical play is most common among 3 and 4 year olds and is generally more common among boys than among girls. Physical play tends to decline somewhat during the middle childhood years.

Constructive play is activity in which children make or build something. It is common among children ages 3 to 6. Communication skills tend to improve through play with others, especially in constructive play.

Types of Play (continued)

Two girls playing with their dolls

Fantasy or pretend play consists of activities in which children pretend to be someone or somewhere else and act out schemes, such as being mother to a doll, being a locomotive engineer, or being a particular cartoon character, superhero, or athlete. Acting out situations and role‐playing improves children’s social and emotional understanding. Fantasy play is common among children from infancy and turns into collaborative pretend play at about age 4. Interestingly, girls are more likely to engage in this type of play than boys are.

Play involving rules includes participation in sports and board games. Playing such games requires a child to take another person’s perspective, which is an important component of both social and cognitive functioning. For example, children cannot play kickball successfully if they do not understand that each player has his/her own view of the field and that each player has a different responsibility on the team. Play involving rules is most common during middle childhood years.

Children at Play: Observation 1

You are about to see some videos of children playing. After you view the video on each screen, identify the type of play that you have observed based on the categories described on the previous two screens.

Question 1.1

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Correct! This video clip shows a toddler exploring objects, which is an example of functional play.
Sorry. This video clip shows a toddler exploring objects, which is an example of functional play.

Children at Play: Observation 2

Question 1.2

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Correct! This video clip shows two children playing cards, which is an example of play involving rules.
Sorry. This video clip shows two children playing cards, which is an example of play involving rules.

Children at Play: Observation 3

Question 1.3

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Correct! This video clip shows two sisters playing with building blocks, which is an example of constructive play.
Sorry. This video clip shows two sisters playing with building blocks, which is an example of constructive play.

Children at Play: Observation 4

Question 1.4

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Correct! This video clip shows a boy exploring a toy school bus, which is an example of functional play.
Sorry. This video clip shows a boy exploring a toy school bus, which is an example of functional play.

Children at Play: Observation 5

Question 1.5

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Correct! This video clip shows kids running and chasing each other and some other girls doing jumping jacks. Both are examples of physical play.
Sorry. This video clip shows kids running and chasing each other and some other girls doing jumping jacks. Both are examples of physical play.

Children at Play: Observation 6

Question 1.6

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Correct! These children are dressed up and playing with dolls, which is an example of fantasy or pretend play.
Sorry. These children are dressed up and playing with dolls, which is an example of fantasy or pretend play.

The Purpose of Play

Three young boys playing in a stream building boats out of sticks

Although play may seem recreational, you now know that play is children’s work. It has many functions in children’s development. No matter what play they engage in, children are always learning. They develop physical, emotional, cognitive, and social skills through play. While playing, children are practicing how to use their growing bodies and minds.

Much current research focuses on the role of gender and culture in play. While play is universal, it varies across gender. Boys and girls tend to play differently. While children prefer to play with peers of their same gender, it is not at all unusual for children to play in mixed‐gender groups. It does depend on what playmates are available! In general, boys are more likely to engage in rough‐and‐tumble play, which is aggressive activity with no intent on hurting play partners. In contrast, girls are more likely to engage in fantasy or dramatic play, which provides opportunities for learning about social roles, regulation of emotions, and communication.

Play is evident in every culture. Make‐believe play is fairly universal across the globe as children try‐on and practice roles that they observe in their own communities. Therefore, the specific details and types of fantasy and dramatic play distinctly vary from culture to culture. The rough‐and‐tumble play that is characteristic of many boys is seen in most cultures around the world. The style and nature of this play also varies according to the customs and behaviors of the particular society.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Two young boys and two young girls leaping into a swimming pool

Question 1.7

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Correct! While the nature and details of play vary across gender and culture, play appears universally in communities around the globe.
Sorry. While the nature and details of play vary across gender and culture, play appears universally in communities around the globe.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

A young girl building with blocks

Question 1.8

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Correct! Children learn both cognitive and social skills through play.
Sorry. Children learn both cognitive and social skills through play.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Two girls playing with their dolls

Question 1.9

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Some examples of skills are: rehearsing social roles (fantasy play); understanding other peoples’ perspectives (play involving rules); motor control and skill (functional, constructive, and physical play); working toward a goal (constructive play); communication skills (fantasy and constructive play); emotional regulation (fantasy and physical play).

Congratulations! You have completed this activity.Total Score: x out of x points (x%) You have received a provisional score for your essay answers, which have been submitted to your instructor.