When to involve yourself in child led play

It is important to consider many different factors when joining in with child led play.

Child led vs Adult led play

Joining in with play can have a positive impact on learning; however it requires timing and understanding. The Early Years Foundation Stage is a very much child led curriculum with some aspects of adult initiated play. Many settings will now offer lots of opportunities for children to initiate ideas and will plan for children according to their interests. It is important to have the right balance between child and adult led learning. It is suggested that adult led, and child initiated play should take up a third of play each. The other third of time should be used for adults to build on child-initiated activities and interests.

Taking your time

Adults can often try to involve themselves in a child’s play too much and too quickly. This may result in the adult taking over, restricting the child’s opportunity to extend their learning independently. It can be difficult to know when is best and how to join in.

It is a good idea to observe the child for a few minutes before deciding how to approach their play. This allows the practitioner time to understand the type of play and what the child is doing. Occasionally practitioners can jump to a conclusion over what the child is thinking or trying to do; this can result in the adult limiting the play opportunities and leaving the child confused or disinterested.

Understanding your role

It is important to be sensitive to children’s play. The children should be in control, giving them the opportunities to problem solve and think of alternative ways to do things. Adults can be eager to join in, sometimes out of fear of missing the child meet a target. However young children enjoy solitary play and will often show their learning much more when given the chance to play alone.

Practitioners should focus on interacting with a child in a skillful way. This may mean waiting to be invited to join in by the child, through verbal or non verbal communication. Children will often watch from the sidelines before joining in with others, this enables them to understand the rules and gather ideas to add to the play. They may also wait to be invited into the play by someone else. Practitioners can sometimes forget the importance of this, inviting themselves and offering their ideas.

Supporting the play

Adults can offer a wealth of knowledge and ideas to child led learning when the time is right to join in. It is important for the adult to scaffold the child’s learning to extend the learning opportunities and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. However the practitioner should be aware of their role. Asking too many questions can limit the play and put the child under pressure to answer. It is a good idea to think of alternative ways to engage the child such as offering sound effects or making comments on the play rather than testing their knowledge. This will encourage the child to communicate with you and open the play.