K4D885.

K4D885. Children have the right to play All children and young people have the right to play and need to play: free to choose what they do - lively or relaxed, noisy or quiet - with the chance to stretch and challenge themselves, take risks and enjoy freedom. The right to play is enshrined in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Charter for Children’s Play, 2007. Play is an essential part of every child’s life. It is integral to their enjoyment of their lives, their health and their development. It is how children and young people explore the world around them, naturally develop understanding and practise skills. Play is essential for healthy physical and emotional growth, for intellectual and educational development and for acquiring social and behavioural skills. Play may or may not involve equipment or a dedicated play space and may or may not have an end product. Children play on their own or with others, their play may be boisterous and energetic, quiet and contemplative, light-hearted or very serious. Children’s own culture is created through their play. Over the past few years, the importance of play in children’s development has become more widely acknowledged. The Children’s Plan published by the government in December 2007, acknowledges both the value of play and the problems children and families encounter in finding suitable spaces for play. It outlines a longer-term policy framework to support play provision and recognises the value of play to children’s enjoyment of their childhoods. Play is a vital part of early childhood. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) states clearly that play underpins all development and learning. ÔChildrenÕs play reßects their wide-ranging and varied interests and preoccupations. In their play children learn at their highest level. Play with peers is important for childrenÕs development.Õ (DCSF 2007). The EYFS spans early childhood from birth to six years old age. During this time, children may spend time with a childminder, in a playgroup, nursery, Children’s Centre, nursery class and reception class in school. Play and exploration in early years settings means children are able to choose activities where they engage with other children or adults, or sometimes play alone. They learn through first-hand experience - by actively doing, thinking and talking to others. Young children need quality indoor and outdoor space, time and choice of a range of play activities. They benefit from stimulating environments that encourage self-initiated, freely-chosen play - combined with practitioner-planned activities based on observation of individual children’s developmental needs and interests. All play has a fundamental role in enabling children and young people to engage positively with the complexities of the world around them. Play-based learning, from the early years educator’s or teacher’s perspective, may have learning outcomes, whether or not the child is aware of this. In order to achieve the identified outcome, the play-based method is likely to be, to some extent, structured, managed, directed or assessed by the teacher, however informally. Carers may sometimes intervene to guide the child’s play to assist the child’s learning and to develop curriculum knowledge and understanding. To sustain high quality play, it is crucial to understand the importance of the children’s self-directed play. In this context, carers/teachers use the term ‘play’ to identify activity that is fun or pleasurable for the child, is deeply involving and allows space for children’s spontaneity within a consciously adult-structured environment.