Understand_the_Role_and_Value_of_Play

309.1 Understand the role and value of play I understand that the child is to be the focal point of all activities in the play environment and it is our duty to ensure that we create a safe environment in which they may experiment and take risks. Through their play, the Childs mind is stimulated and should always be encouraged to find their own solutions. Although play is such a simple tool, it is a valuable one for children to engage in together. Within each child, is the innate drive to play and satisfy the need to grow and learn with their peers. Play is a necessity for biological and social development. Through play, children can express themselves, experiment and overcome certain occurrences that no other means can. They can then build a base to help them in later life, as active children are more likely to mature into mentally and physically active adults. The aim of playing with other children is to learn to collaborate with others, sense emotions, and to be fair and responsible. Play can also help to build a good foundation for healthy mental, physical and social development and good well being. Play should be a self motivating experience that allows all children to communicate together on a more personal level. As an ‘Advocate for play’, one of my prime focuses is to support and facilitate to any need the child may have so as to create a pleasant and educational experience. We can also work with children to create spaces to which everyone can explore the depths of play and allow the children to experiment with boundaries and risks within a safe, controlled environment. Along with this, together with children we can work on any possible interventions to make sure they balance risk with the developmental benefit and well being of children. In the context of a play environment the phrase ‘freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated’ could be applied. I believe that this translates to mean that the child can have independent exploration with peers within a fun environment that also offers free reign and choice of equipment so they may develop their own rules and explore the boundaries of play with eachother.