Infants can play too

Describe imagination, concepts or images not actually present to the senses

action of forming new ideas

What is imagination fundamental for?

human learning

What are the three features of imagination?

collectively produced and socially recognised

discrepancy between imagined and actual situation

capacity to move back and forth between contexts

What does ‘collectively produced and socially recognised’ mean in relation to imagination?

decided in a group or the idea the act is understood from outside perspective 

What does ‘discrepancy between imagined and actual situation’ mean in relation to imagination?

the act is not actually happening but instead represents it, this can be done through the use of props

What does ‘capacity to move back and forth between contexts’ mean in relation to imagination?

the manufacturer is able to switch between contexts of the now and the imagined context

What are some examples of play?

rough and tumble

socio-dramatic play

fantasy play

loose piece play

rule games

imaginary companion game

What happens to play with the absence of caring infant-caregiver attachments/ interactions

reduced frequency of play leading to reduced fitness and lower theory of mind

What does a theory of mind mean?

individuals cognitive ability to understand others eg attribute mental states to others

What are Burghardt’s criteria for play in animals?

voluntary

pleasurable

occur when stress is low/ not there

not fully function (not made for survival)

differs in form to functional expression 

repeated

What is a key variation between human and animal play?

human play uses the mind and imagination in a more complex way for example through social play. humans use social play to build connections whereas animals think less complexly about other animals minds

Who developed the 6 stages of play?

Mildred Parten

What was a key finding about the stages?

whilst a child does move through the stages with age, they can move back to previous stages whilst at the age or currently engaging in another stage

the stages interweave 

What is unoccupied play?

(not technically in Parten’s stages)

when the child explores the world through the use and development of motor skills and coordination

foundation of play

When is unoccupied play?

0-3 months

What is solidary play?

when children play with own toys as not do not yet have the social skills to connect with others

builds independence

enables imagination through physical and mental skills 

When is solidary play?

birth- 2 years

What is onlooker play?

child is in close proximity of another child playing but makes no attempt to join

learns through observation

When is onlooker play?

birth+

What is parallel play?

when children play next to each other but not actually play together

usually use same toys or be doing same thing

connect through the act of playing parallel to someone

can learn from each other by overserving how others play

When is parallel play?

2.5- 3.5 years

What is associative play?

children begin to play together, using same toys, but no specific aim or goal

follow own story-lines but still play with another child,

When is associative play?

3- 4.5 years

What is cooperative play?

social play that is organised and uses communicative

all work together for common goal/ story-line (different to associative play)

often includes different roles or plots eg making a play or dance together 

When is cooperative play?

4- 5.5 years

What are rule based games?

cooperative play that specifically involves winners and losers due to the games ‘rules’

often competitive nature as children play games with rules to try and ‘win’ against other children

different to organised sport

When are rule based games?

6 years +

Why is play important for infants?

help to build social, cognitive and emotional skills

increase vocab