Activities for toddlers
Activity assignment Discuss parent involvement with regards to messy play. If necessarys refer to parent involvement in some of the previous activities.
7. Fantasy play or make-believe play 7.1 An introduction to fantasy play
Definition: Fantasy play is spontaneous and takes place without orders or directions from adults. The child tries to experience life as an adult would. He tries to feel what it would be like to have certain responsibilities and experiences, e.g. preparing a meal.
7.2 Value of fantasy play
Make-believe play – also called pretend play or dramatic play – starts at an early age. When a one- year-old hugs her fluffy toy and talks to it, she has already started make-believe play.
7.2.1 Emotional development
1. Children give vent to their emotions in make-believe play. Emotions such as anger, fear and aggression can be expressed in safe, acceptable play.
2. Watch how children reflect their own treatment by adults in their make- believe play. A girl who receives severe beatings from her parents will give her dolls equally severe beatings. A little boy may vent his frustrations by involving his toy cars in severe accidents or play war games where a lot of killing takes place.
3. If children are treated with kindness, it will also show up in this kind of play, e.g. a child will not call her doll ‘my little darling’ if she has never been called that.
4. Te child finds ways of solving emotional situations by role playing through the problem situation.
5. Trough observing the toddler play, the educarer can learn more about the child’s feelings and how they are coping. Are they frustrated, angry, abused, happy, loving, well cared for?
6. In pretend play, children can express their feelings, they can change roles and so try and experience the feelings of people in different roles. Tey can pretend to cry and be happy all in a short period of time.
7. While doing this, they prepare for life’s roles and the ability to communicate in different situations.
7.2.2 Language development
1. Children use language all the time when they make-believe. In order to communicate with their playmates (sometimes make-believe is solitary), they must talk and explain the rules of the game, as they understand it.
2. Rules, for young children, are not understood the same way as we understand them. If a child plays that he is the father, the rule is that he acts like a father – the way he perceives a father. Everyone makes his own rules as he understands them and can break them the next moment as his understanding changes.
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