4.3.1 Idea sharing - Play experiences

I was recently having a play day with my 4yo grandchild. It was kitchen and food play. We had fun making shapes out of different food, being silly with faces made from vegetables, and snake/lizard tongues out of carrot and apple peels. We ate food he hadn't experienced before and mixed ingredients to watch how they combined and formed into other things in the oven and ice-cream maker. Playing can open young kids minds and bodies to new experiences and give opportunities to learn through positive interactions.

I love creating environments that facilitate children to come up with role playing games. For instance, I like setting up a room with boxes, scraps of fabric and a couple of dolls and then let the kids spontaneously comes up with the game they want to play

I have recently incorporated a pasta threading activity at my sessions
It has allowed children to focus while still having fun and creating something simultaneously

Playing a game of soccer on the beach with the 'Nippers' was special because it was different from our usual routine, and I was part of the team and not their Age Manager for that time.

Some characteristics of play are the development of skills, imagination, thought, planning, teamwork, compassion and learning new things. Play is fun and is a great way to learn.

I feel the best play experiences involve adults and children both being on the same level physically (adults sitting or kneeling alongside children) and are child-led examples of play with children taking the lead in building a world or activity.

A memorable play experience that I was involved in having a "Australia Day" when I lived overseas, I introduced the children to Australian animals we pretended to be them and acted out their sounds ( we had finished reading wombat stew). In addition we made fairy bread which the children would never heard of it before and they were so delighted. I still remember the smiles on their face, about learning about a country they have never heard of or been to!

A play experience that is always popular and engages children and adults of any age is a fishing set we have. The children can catch a variety of coloured fish and crabs which also have letters on the them. They can use different rods to catch them. We also give them buckets they can put the fish into. This play experience provides lots of conversation, sharing of memories and pretend play.

When we had a "camping" themed playtime at the library. Children got to play in little tents, pretend to cook over a fake fire, have little lanterns and also go fishing with the fish and rod toys. Even children who had never been camping could play pretend and enjoy the activity, and as camping is a family activity even the parents got involved by sitting in the tent and "eating" the food that was "cooked". It was a fun, playful experience for all involved.

So many great examples, it's hard to choose.

I remember my daughter having so much fun in her toy kitchen and particularly loved pretending to make cappuccino's with her toy coffee machine. She took so much care in preparing it and took great pleasure in serving up the finished product. She is now 19 and gets to make real coffee with a real coffee machine at her part time job. We often talk about how much she enjoyed pretending to do this when she was little.

I noticed that during these play times it was important to her that we gave her our attention and that we acknowledged and showed appreciation for what she made for us. The conversations that happened during playtime were always fun and so valuable. Above all it was always a fun time!

Play with my children when they were small was always memorable. It was always a special bonding time and it was a great collaboration of creativity. Cardboard boxes was a fun starting point for many creative adventures. The spark of what was of interest always ignited a creative journey into pirate ships, cars, cubbies etc. This always involved the imagination of how to express an idea in a physical way. There was always cutting, glueing, construction skills learned and utilized. There was collaboration with friends and siblings. Then there was usually other ideas of further play into a game or a race etc. There was much problem solving involved , lots of physical and motor skills developed and lots of communication of ideas and negotiation of how to develop them. But most of all it was great fun and it always led to great friendships and bonding.

Play is about the child and parent interacting, learning from each other, copying, taking turns, trying different ways. But most of all enjoying their time together.

When I observe children building with blocks you can see many characteristics of play: Patience, Forgiveness, Communication, Learning that mistakes is a necessary part of growth, Sharing, Helping others etc.

I love playing with my grandchildren. They never cease to amaze me and amuse me when we are engaging in games, reading or just having a conversation about something they are interested in, and it becomes a learning experience for me in getting to know them better.

I love the narration children give when they are building with magnetic tiles, and watching their imagination come to life. The artistic ability which is awakened by playing with paints or building with clay is wonderful and fascinating.

Some of the characteristics of play for children are is learning to share, waiting a turn and being patient, others are exploring ideas, experimenting, feeling textures of new materials, studying the ins and outs of objects, using your imagination and children and adults can bond with one another.

Play for children is about exploring ideas, experimenting, sometimes with new materials and reflecting on what and how it worked, as well as tapping into their imagination. I always love watching how young children usually have a very clear idea on what they want to do and how they are going to achieve it.

I recently facilitated a story time session, and took along supplies to do some salt painting
The way the food colouring spread into the salt/glue drawing was incredibly intriguing for the participants (adults and children) and we ended up doing the activity for much longer than I expected. We spent time talking about colours, and what they were painting which led into further conversation about anything and everything

Our library was facilitating a passive play station with magnetic tiles for children, I was able to observe children, their grownups, siblings and other children interacting and sharing with one another. The children had the freedom to create without the confines or structure of 'adult-led' programming and when I asked them about their designs, their explanations and stories were imaginative. I was active in the space, randomly picking up pieces and chatting casually to and sharing pieces with a shy young boy and when I went to move to a different area, he asked where I was going and requested I come back and help him. This was surprising and special, as I didn't realise my conversation and engagement was making any difference to his, but by playing passively opened this child up and he was chatting away and playing with the other children by the end of the session. I love see children open up this way, through play based activity.

A couple of days ago our library hosted an interactive play day with all sorts of building based toys. I supervised one of the activities, and it was such a joy to see parents taking a step back and letting their little ones discover solutions on their own. Eg, I want to build a rocket, but it keeps falling over- I'll have to add more blocks and the bottom so it stands up. I want the top to be pointy, I need to find triangle shapes, etc etc. Grown ups were on hand to offer support when children asked, or to encourage independent thinking to find solutions. It was really special to observe that problem solving taking place in a play based setting.

I was involved in primary school drama classes, and, when introducing acting, we allowed the younger ones to create a story of their own that they wanted to act out. Essentially this gave them the freedom to be creative and learn what did and didn't work both physically and more generally with story-telling.

I enjoy seeing groups of children and parents/caregivers work together to put together large jigsaw puzzles. Co-operation, communication, motor skills, pattern recognition and problem solving are all seen in this activity.

During school holidays we have the Scavenger Hunt. Children of all ages join in to find the 9 pictures placed randomly around the Children's section of the library. They talk with each other, plan, organise, listen, co-ordinate, collaborate, use observation skills etc. Everyone gets involved, kids of all ages, families, staff. It becomes a really happy adventure and just so simple.

A regular observation in the library is children & their parents/carers playing games together. This is special as it provides the little ones with dedicated one on one time in a safe and fun environment.

Play is about seeing the children collaborate and have fun together, to let their imagination take the lead and adults to lend a part in that play time.

Play is about enjoying each other's company, laughing, talking, mimicking, eye contact and connection as you explore each other, new experiences and the world together, yet individually as well, learning off and bouncing off one another.

I think seeing play where the adult is letting the child lead the play can be special. Helps the child build confidence and feel valued. Some of the characteristics of play include the use of imagination, having fun, and experimentation.

Playing tea party with my granddaughter I see her stretch her imagination by concocting different delicacies to offer me when she takes my order. It really tickles me.

Adults scaffold the learning of their little one through modelling behaviour and skills in play-based contexts. For example, in constructing castles using magnetic shapes, I witnessed a parent naming shapes (numeracy / literacy), experimenting with the most appropriate shape to fit each component of the structure (spatial awareness / language development), all the while engaging in conversation as to what was / was not working (problem solving / persistence and resilience). Such a wonderful opportunity to nurture both foundational skills and strengthen family bonds.

I supervised a brick builders workshop where kids built things with Lego. I asked the kids about their creations and was surprised they were less interested in crafting models than creating elaborate scenarios and building worlds, often aiming for comedy. It was incredible to hear the develop their communication skills in a workshop that I didn’t expect that to occur.

When holding a science day for under 5's the children were telling the adults how to do the sensory craft and also showing each other what to do. The children loved sharing their thoughts and ideas and teaching and helping others.

My nieces constantly play "cafe" and "shops". Then when we are in the real cafe and shops they know how to pay/order because of the play they have done.

My dad used to play washing machine with my sister and I, where we pretended that we were clothes being washed - like a piggy back ride but following the story of dirty clothes going through the laundry - from the washing basket, into the machine, the machine filling up etc. We did it regularly and we knew that the spin cycle was coming - the repetition of the story helped us learn order, predict what was coming next, and match actions with words. It was incredibly fun. Elements of play that I can recognise in that game are sequencing, building loving relationships, experimenting with language and actions, healthy bodies, and fun/enjoyment.

I observed a really lovely friendship grow in the corner between a toddler and a 3 year old today. Though they were at very different developmental stages, they spent hours engaging with each other through play, by mimicking each others actions and sounds, and creating adventures with the materials at hand. The spontaneity and duration of this interaction made it really special, as well as the genuine warmth between the two children. I think the safe and markedly play based environment created the safe space that allowed this to happen, also the patience and willingness of their grown ups.

My children love to play 'schools'. They are both under school age. It is fascinating how the game changes when I am involved, and how they negotiate what to do when I am not involved. Of course, I am always assigned the role of 'teacher', but when they are given space to reverse the roles, they leap at the chance to boss me around. They explore boundaries and have fun with it. Maybe when they actually start school it won't be so fun anymore..

Play using pretend food and cooking utensils, as well as matching dress ups is always a fun play experience. Children and adults participate in role play, turn taking, real world practice, effective communication, fine & gross motor and of course relationship building, as adults and children interact and enjoy each others company during this playtime experience. What will their little one 'cook' for them? A prawn chocolate salad?! or perhaps a cup of tea made with tomato and bread!

When Parents play with their children, children become more involved. the characteristics are language shills, fine and gross motor skills and their imagination.

In The Corner recently I was engaged with a child playing with the triangular magnetic blocks. He struggled for a few moments but eventually achieved what he wanted - making me an ice-cream in a cone out of the blocks. He presented me with the ice-cream cone! I was thrilled at the determination, imagination and pride in the eventual outcome! We all had a lot of fun and the parent assured me he had never used these blocks before! Amazing!

Playing in the sandpit with students who decided to 'bake' me my favourite cake and bring it to me to 'eat'. Some of the play characteristics were imagination and social interactions.

A special play time I remember was during a robot session (Sphero) at the library. Part of the session involved children making objects for Sphero to drive around. One child used cardboard to make a cone-shaped volcano and he practiced steering Sphero around the volcano several times. He then put the volcano over the top of Sphero and then was steering Sphero/the volcano around the room. All the participants, parents were laughing and we all had a great discussion about what the child had done. Everyone started to do variations of this idea. Play allows children to practice skills and develop new skills, allows imagination to bloom, creates joy and surprise and inspiration for everyone. Play allows objects to be used in new and unexpected ways. Play generates conversation.

It is a delight to see the world and experience it through children's eyes, especially when they feel safe and secure to be themselves in different settings, like the library or a park. Their fascination, curiosity and joy for life that shines through their play is infectious!

I love it when every week the children will make and bring me a cup of tea of hot chocolate as they have remember my favourite drinks. We will sit and have a chat about what is happening and enjoy our cuppa.

My kids and I go scooting at the park together regularly. What makes it special is simply spending time together doing an activity we all enjoy. I don't just watch them scoot around in circles. I actively participate. We race each other, or slow down when one of us gets tired. We come up with ideas for little challenges like scoot to 5 different trees. Or we just enjoy the ride and talk about stuff. When we scoot together we are exercising our bodies and our minds and it's a great bonding experience.

The joy and delight on the children's faces makes it memorable. They enjoy feeling important and being able to help somebody understand how to follow their lead. We have a few champion storytellers in our group and it is such a delight to watch from afar and listen to the tales they have to tell. I recommended to the adults that it would be a treasure to record their voices during those sessions as they are irreplaceable moments in time.

I love when children come back and want to extend on play from previous sessions! I love how engaged they become.

I love to see when parents and children are playing and participating in different activities over time, how the child starts out tentative and being led to them gaining confidence and taking over the lead.

Engaging with children as they created rivers and lakes in the sandpit. Seeing their intense concentration and focus as they worked out how to direct the flow of water. Hearing the children talk about what they were doing and excitedly sharing their observations. The play was child-led and fun.

Using magnetic sand to build sandcastles. The children watched the parents filling the moulds and tipping them out, they then took over. They shared their building parts with others and managed to build corners and towers.

Play at the park allowed the children to enjoy painting outdoor, and it was the children who encouraged the parents to help.

When adults and children have been engaged on the same level, eg. teddy bear picnic with everyone sitting on the floor and sharing the experience of play.

Something of note when children and adults are bonding in play is the child's ability to role reverse. Made special by the intense imagination of the child. Sharing and waiting their turn and learning to be patient are some of the characteristics of play.

Android test comment