34 Play equipment in early childhood education centers

P. Jagathambal

Introduction

Early childhood Education is the learning experience that a child undergoes in their early childhood years that is from 2- 6 years. An Early Childhood Education center caters to the developmental needs of a child in the early childhood years. Other names for ECE centers include pre schools. Nursery schools, play schools, montessori schools etc. whatever may be the names for these schools , the common factor is that they all educate children through play.

In an ECE center, children are encouraged to learn through play activities. There is a saying that all play and no work make jack dull , but in ECE centers , play acts as a medium of learning and becomes a child’s work – a job with joy. So play and work happen hand in hand simultaneously. For play way method to be adopted, an Early childhood education center should essentially be loaded with large number of play equipment – both indoor and outdoor

These equipment should be carefully selected , arranged , utilized and maintained.

Learning outcomes

At the end this session , I’m sure that you all should have gained knowledge on

Concept of early childhood education
Definition of play
Characteristics and types of play
Importance of play equipment in ECE centers
Play equipment for different domains of development

Concept of early childhood education

Childhood is considered to be the blossoming stage of human personality. The development fostered during this stage acts as foundation frame for an individual’s wholesome personality. It is the preparation for a formal schooling.

An early childhood education center is a place where children are provided with joyful experience through play. These centers also provide child care facilities for working parents. They also act as medium to provide enriched environment for developing creativity and innovation for young children

In this modern era, early childhood education centers have turned their attention and concentration in fostering the development of 4 Hs namely hand, heart. Head and health rather than teaching only the 3 Rs. This objective could be achieved only through play way.

Therefore this brings in the necessity for the early childhood educators to understand the concept of play and importance of play equipment.

Definition of play

Understanding the concept of play will help in providing learning experiences to children. Many of us consider play as an useless activity engaged in during the leisure times. This may be sometimes true for grown ups but never for a child, play will be worthless. Rather play is so important in the life of a child in early childhood stage, that this stage is often termed as play years.

Play is the work of children. It consists of those activities performed for self-amusement that have behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards. It is child-directed, and the rewards come from within the individual child; it is enjoyable and spontaneous.

Play can also be defined as any activity engaged in mainly for the pleasure it gives. But play not only a joyful experience but also of educational value.

Play is the most important way that young children learn
Play is the way that children learn resilience and perseverance.
Play is the way that children stretch themselves
Play is the way children learn what it is like to be an adult as they try on adult roles. Play is the way that children learn to deal with tension and stress

Characteristics of play

Play is self chosen and self directed

Children choose the play and play materials according to their own interest and they derive satisfaction and pleasure from the activity they engage in.

Play is intrinsically motivated

Play is an activity is done for its own sake of doing rather than for the reward from outside. Otherwise in play means are more than goals. For example, children can do mistakes while playing and may achieve the end result. But it is considered as learning experience through trial and error method.

Play is guided by mental rules

Play is freely chosen activity, but not freeform activity. Play always has structure, and that structure derives from rules in the players’ minds. Children involved in solitary play can set a rule on its own. In group play common accepted rules created.

A common example is street cricket or kiddy cricket where one tip catches are allowed.

Play gives room for creativity and imagination

A child uses its own thinking capacity to play with same play material in different ways. A child can play car game with wooden block. Sometimes they can use the same wooden block for building tower.

Children have more imagining ability than adults. They can build a castle out of sand pretending it to be real one. In social play, one can observe children taking up the roles of real life characters, pretending as if they are the real ones. Simply you can even observe a child and taking care of toys as if they real ones

Play involves alert and active mind but not stressed state of mind

Though play is free and not goal oriented , children have to be active and alert. Imagine children playing colour identification game , the child involved should be alert and active enough to identify and pick up the object of the prescribed colour.

But if he or she fails in the first attempt there is always a second chance to learn so the child will not stressed at all.

TYPES OF PLAY

Cognitive Play
Functional: Simple repetitive muscle movements with or without objects.
Dramatic: Substitution of an imaginary situation or object in a pretend play situation.
Constructive: Manipulation of objects to construct or create something.
Games with rules: Acceptance of prearranged rules and adjustments to them in organized play.
Social Play
Solitary: Child plays alone and independently.
Parallel: Child plays beside rather than with other children.
Group: Child plays with another child or group of children striving to attain a common goal.
Other
Exploratory: Child seeks sensory information or stimuli.
Rough & Tumble: Play fighting or playful physical activity.
Chase Games: One or more children planning to chase or actually chasing another child or children.
Aggression: Real fighting-with intent to hurt or defend.

Non-Play

Unoccupied: Child is not playing. Watching anything of momentary interest.
Onlooker: Watching other children play. May converse with players but does not participate.
Transition: Preparing for or moving from one activity to another.

Play equipment and early childhood years

Equipment is most essential for running a preschool effectively. The school needs a variety of equipment to provide the children with challenging and interesting learning experiences. However the type of equipment, and its way of usage is determined by the objectives of the nursery school and the educational approach followed by that particular school. For example, a Montessori school will need certain special equipment and insist using special methods in introducing them.

However a child-development – oriented curriculum needs different types of equipment for the development of

Muscular co-ordination (jungle gym, swings, balancing boards etc.)
Social skills (puppets etc,)
Language (books, pictures, flannelograph cards etc.)
Creativity (sand, clay paints etc.)
Imagination and other cognitive abilities (constructing and building different types of blocks, shapes etc.)

Hence, selection of play equipment should be given utmost care. The following points may be considered by the school authorities in choosing the play equipment.

PRINCIPLES TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE SELECTING PLAY EQUIPMENT

Age level and number of children

The equipment should be sufficiently low for a three year old child; otherwise the child will be scared to use it. For example, the swing, slide, climbing equipment should be three feet approximately to utilize them effectively.

The materials should not be small enough for younger children as they might swallow or it should not be larger enough for them to handle.

The number of equipment should be in proportion to the number of children. For example, if the school has only one toy car for a group of twenty children, it is difficult for the educator to manage the children and arrange for them to play happily. Atleast four or five should be available to enable the children to use it freely.

Durability of the equipment·

The equipment to be purchased should withstand the wear and tear

As the children at this age will be very active and tend to use the play toys roughly, flimsy, breakable equipment or ornamental decorative pieces should be avoided

As the purchase of equipment needs plenty of planning and preparation with reference to budget and availability of materials, durability of the equipment is essential

To check out the durability, one more important aspect that has to be considered is that the play equipment should withstand the attack of weather conditions and change. Sometimes even indoor equipment will be kept outdoors due to lack of space.

Equipment to be used for wide range of activities

The school should buy equipment which can be used for more than one purpose and can be used by more than one child at a time. For example, the double sided easels can be used by four children at a time for painting and also it canØ be used as blackboards by the teacher.

Equipment should have the facility to be assembled rather than a finished product

By trying to assemble the play equipment the child finds pleasure and a satisfaction of making something themselves and play with it, rather than playing with a ready-made toy.

Big sized equipment or any outdoor equipment should be firmly fixed

Before the children are allowed to use any equipment, the teacher should have periodical check-ups to ensure that they are properly fixed.

Proper placement and arrangement of equipment

The proper placement and arrangement of equipment facilitate effective use of these equipments.
All of the materials should be attractively arranged in the room and should be placed on low shelves. By doing so, the children may take out and play with the materials whenever they need and will also learn to place them in their right fixed place.

Maintenance and replacement of worn-out materials

This is one main thing that deserves the constant attention of the teacher. At the end of each term, the worn-out equipment should be condemned and replaced
Repair and repaint of old and broken ones should be carried out to give them a new look and to make them attractive again

Indigenous material should be given priority

Low cost or cost effective play equipments and equipments from waste materials should be given priority
Also the teacher should be well informed about the indigenous materials.

Hence in total, instead of selecting very expensive and sophisticated equipment, the teacher should always go in for sturdy and replaceable play items.

SIGNIFICANCE OF PLAY EQUIPMENT

The importance of play equipment for children in their preschool years are discussed under the following heads

Physical Benefits

Playground equipment gets children moving and having fun at the same time. Slides provide climbing exercise for the legs; bars exercise arms and shoulders; jungle gyms strengthen arms, legs and shoulders; and all the equipment together encourages children to run from one piece to another, giving them a healthy dose of cardiovascular, heart-healthy exercise.

Social Benefits

During play the children get to be around one another. Both group interaction and social development take place in a number of ways: Children learn how to take turns and exercise self-control waiting for a swing to open up; they can observe each other on all the equipment; and they can strike up conversations with peers on the platforms, bridges and ramps of playground structures.

Self-Confidence Benefits

Getting well acquainted with the play equipment the children conquer their fears of these playground structures and gain success in mastering them. The sense of accomplishment that thechildren gain leads to self-confidence and an increase in self-esteem.

Mental Benefits

Playground equipment helps toddlers’ brains develop, as they learn about the world through motor activities and sensory experiences. It goes on to explain that brain development in the first six years of life is especially important, and that the more children exercise both their sensory and motor skills by using playground equipment, the more brain-neural connections they create.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTS Physical Development

Gross and fine motor development

Climbing/swinging equipment – slides , planks, climbers, balancing rods, tunnels, bridges , swings
Wheeled equipment and accessories
Games equipment

Building blocks, jungle gyms, assorted balls, stacking rings,

Manipulative toys:

Colour, size and Shape sorters, peg boards, stringing beads, miniature toy sets,

Puzzles
Construction toys

Nesting/stacking toys, interlocking blocks, accessories, e.g. train with interlocking track

Self-help skills

Grooming materials,
Self feeding equipment

Tactile development

Floor pillows, soft sofa/chairs, varied floor surfaces, bubble-blowing supplies, sensory materials

Intellectual Development
Curiosity/ reasoning/ problem solving

Sand play equipment and accessories
Water play equipment and accessories
Modelling materials and accessories
Cooking equipment
Science equipment
Plants and pets, magnifying glass, magnets, scales and objects to weigh, sets of animals including dinosaurs, nature collections
Card and board games, memory games

Classifying/ ordering/ direction/ spatial relationships/perception

Objects to sort and classify
Materials to string (various sizes, types)
Visually stimulating display: pictures, artwork, toys
Shape sorters, stencils, tracing supplies

Creative expression

Art equipment

Easels, drying rack or space, equipment and materials for painting, drawing and colouring, cutting, gluing, collage, 3-dimensional work

Music/dance equipment
Housekeeping equipment
Imaginative play equipment:

Dress-up clothes, puppets, prop kits, unbreakable mirror

Environmental understanding

Natural area

Grass, garden

Gardening/nature equipment

e.g. trowels, bird feeder

Recycling box

Language Development

Receptive & expressive language skills

ü Books and storytelling equipment

Picture and story books; puppets, theatre, and props; felt board and figures; sofa or comfortable chair

ü Listening equipment:

Tape/CD player, selection of music and songs from various cultures and genres (e.g. classical, folk, rock, country), selection of stories on tape or CD

Communication

ü Telephones, walkie talkies, cans and string

ü Writing equipment: paper, illustrating materials

Emotional Development

Positive/ accurate self-concept

ü Picture/artwork display at child’s eye level,

ü Photographs of children

ü Unbreakable mirror

Expressing appropriate feelings

ü Carpets, pillows, soft furnishings

ü Stuffed toys, dolls

ü Safe place to “let off steam”

ü Books containing messages about feelings

ü Peg boards

Cultural heritage

ü Pictures, decorations, toys, music and stories from various culture

Social Development

Working cooperatively & independently

ü Equipment and play materials for group activity both large and small

ü Artwork, blocks, and construction equipment in adequate number for group play

ü Board and card games and large motor equipment promoting cooperative group play

ü Equipment designed with wide slides, platforms for more than one child

ü Equipment for solitary activities: space, tent, carpet squares or soft chairs for individual children

Equipment to promote belonging

ü Photographs of children and families

ü Books/pictures/toys promoting diverse families and cultures

Conclusion

Early childhood years is considered as foundation stage of an individual’s personality. Early childhood education serves the platform laying foundation for a child’s wholesome development. Irrespective the curriculum and methodology followed in an early childhood center, education is imparted through the most play experience of play to the children. Play is an activity where children show their remarkable ability for exploration, imagination and decision making. While play is often described as ‘children’s work’ it is intensely enjoyable for them. The type of play children engage in and its purposes change over the course of childhood from infancy to adolescence.

Thus play equipment forms an integral part of an ECE center. Play equipment and toys are basic needs of children. Play equipment play a vital role in the wholesome development of children. This brings in the need for the early childhood educator to understand the philosophy of using play equipment based on the principles of child development.

Children are happy while playing. Provide them happiness. Help them develop into healthy personality.

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Web links

https://en.unesco.org/themes/early-childhood-care-and-education
www.healthofchildren.com › E-F
https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/self-care/self-care-skills/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_relation
https://www.reference.com › World View › Social Sciences
https://www.interglot.com/dictionary/en/en/translate/intellectual%20developmen