35 Play equipment – principles of selection, care, use and maintenance

P. Jagathambal

Introduction

Childhood is considered as the prime time in the life span development of human beings. Childhood which extends from 2 to 12 years can be broadly categorized into

•  Early childhood (2 to 6 years)
•  Late childhood (6 to 12 years)

Early childhood is considered as foundation for the wholesome development of an individual. It is called as preschool age where in a child gets into pre preparation for formal schooling. Preschools are predominantly play schools. In preschools or play schools, learning experiences are imparted mainly through play way method. Children are encouraged to get first-hand experience on various life related concepts and skills through play. So obviously play occupies a prominent part of a child’s life during the preschool years.

Play becomes the work for a child which it enjoys and relishes. Toys and play equipment occupy a vital part of a child’s life. Play equipment are one of the basic needs and they provide emotional satisfaction to a child. As toys play a pivotal role in the life of a child, the stack holders of ECE centers should be careful in selecting play equipment for a preschool. The use, care and maintenance of the selected equipment should be meticulously done.

Toys not merely play things, they act as learning medium for the children. Play materials are greater teachers to children which are direct and immediate source of knowledge right from sensori – motor to cognitive development

Learning outcomes

At the end of this session, I’m sure you will be able to understand the following

• Importance of play equipment in a child’s life
• Principles of selecting play equipment for an early childhood Education Center
•  Guidelines for selecting play equipment
•  Care and maintenance of the play equipment

Importance of play equipment

Early childhood stage is the period when a child first steps into a world outside the walls of the house. They need to leave their parents, dear and near ones and known environment. The children face a new environment where they need to mingle with strange people both their age mates and adults.

Imagine a child with strangers all round. There is every possibility for a child to shrink into a shell in an unknown situation. But as you all aware he or she should be brought to normalcy to achieve the goals of early childhood development. That is laying foundation for the wholesome development of children which includes physical, cognitive, social and emotional development

How can it be done, when the child could not be approached easily?

Yes we do have to chart out a way to achieve this

Play is the easiest and simplest way to approach the children without troubling them. Obviously play includes all sorts of play and all the toys and play materials

Play and play equipment have an important role in a child’s life to an extent that preschool age is otherwise called as toy age. Toys or play equipment fulfil many functions.

ü  Brings out the child into outside world

ü   Helps in the development of an individual child

ü   Introduces a miniature of realistic world to the child

ü   Helps in imparting life skills to the child

ü   Enhances the cognitive aspects of a child’s personality

ü  Both gross and fine motor skills are developed

ü  Channelizes childhood emotions and thus forth contributing to their emotional stability

ü  Paves way for releasing their pent up emotions and energy

ü   Develops aesthetic sense and creativity among children

Thus the play materials which serves all these purpose have to be selected carefully and used appropriately.

Benefits of Play

The child gets many benefits by means of playing. Children gain knowledge through their play.

• They acquire the ability to think and reason out
• While playing they try to remember and regain past experiences and try not to do the same error again
•  If encountered with any discomfort in play they use trial and error method or try to imitate others to sort the issue
• Play gives children the opportunity to test their beliefs about the world.
• Problem-solving abilities of children are enhanced through games and puzzles which involve logical reasoning and critical thinking.
• Children involved in make-believe play can stimulate several types of learning.
• Language skills of children can be improved by observing and imitating other children and adults.
• Role play helps the children to create stories about their roles, such as “I am the Mom.” They also imitate their own family experiences. This helps children learn about the different roles of family members.
• Children gain an understanding of size, shape, and texture through play. It helps them learn spatial relationships as they try to put a square object in a round opening or a large object in a small space.
• Books, games, and toys that show pictures and matching words add to a child’s vocabulary. It also helps a child’s understanding of the world.
• Play allows children to be creative while developing their own imaginations. It is important to healthy brain development.
• Play is the first opportunity for your child to discover the world in which he lives.
• Play offers a child the ability to master skills that will help develop self-confidence and the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. For example, a child may feel pride in stacking blocks and disappointment when the last block makes the stack fall.
• Play allows children to express their views, experiences and at times, frustrations. Play with other children helps a child learn how to be part of a group.
• Play allows a child to learn the skills of negotiation, problem solving, sharing, and working within groups.
• Children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace and discover their own interests during play.

Principles to be followed in the selection of play equipment

Play equipment is a fundamental requirement for effective functioning of an Early Childhood Education Centre. There are certain principles to be applied while selecting play materials and toys. The preschool administrators, teachers, parents and other stack holders should be careful enough to apply these principles while selecting play materials and toys for children.

Age and maturity of the children

In an Early Childhood Education center, there will be group of children in the age group of two to six years and as you all aware that every child is unique in their character and needs. Each and every child’s needs should be considered in selecting toys which is not very much possible in reality. So, the person in charge of selecting toys should know the age specific developmental needs of the children and should try make an effective selection of toys fulfilling those needs. Toys need to be selected to serve the needs of a group of children rather than that of a child in particular.

Cost of the equipment

Next criteria to be considered in selecting toys and play equipment for children is the cost of the equipment. There is a common myth that more the cost of the equipment, the more its usefulness. But in reality it is not so always. Toys can be as cheaper as indigenous type to as costlier as branded commercial ones. Selection of toys must cater to the budget allotted and care to be taken to make use of the resources available to the fullest extent possible.

Price of the toys should be worthy for the usage and value the toy provides. Sometimes a cheaper toy can serve many a purpose than costlier ones. At the same time, an expensive toy can be durable and long lasting so that as time goes the toy will actually be cheaper for its durability and usage.

Nature of the toys

Size and make of the toys must be appropriate for the age, maturity and competencies of the children. Children in early childhood years are comfortable in handling simple and large play materials rather than intricate ones.

Durability of the play equipment should be given considerable importance in its selection. Only long lasting toys and equipment could serve the purpose of giving first-hand learning experience to the children, because the children develop mastery in a particular skill like building blocks or solving puzzles only over period of time. So the material selected should withstand the time period to enable the children to learn little by little on their own pace.

Safety of the children

Children love toys irrespective of their nature, but as elders we should be careful enough to avoid dangerous toy and materials. A play material could be cheap and serve multipurpose, it may even be durable but if it is dangerous for children, then it should not be selected. Toys should be checked for the following criteria to ensure safety in their usage

• Toy by itself and its parts when detached should not be sharp
• Toy and its parts when detached should not be small to such an extent that it can be inhaled or swallowed or inserted in nose and ears
• Toys should be inflammable
• As children love colourful and attractive toys, make sure that poisonous and prohibited colours are not used. Also make sure that colours used are durable and doesn’t peel off or washed off.

Utility of the material

For an Early Childhood Education center, a simple multipurpose toy can be handier than large complicated toys. A simple set of colour blocks can be used to teach the concepts of colour, size and shape and also can be used to develop fine motor skills and eye hand coordination.

The construction, mechanism and usage of the toy must be easy to understand and manipulate for the children and educators.

Selection of equipment should take into account the usage of all the sense organs and fine and gross motor muscles.

Toys selected should inculcate and enhance creativity, innovation, imagination and imitation among the children

Factors to be considered while selecting toys for pre schools

ü  Play equipment should facilitate all round development

ü   It should be age and need appropriate

ü   Number of play equipment should be in proportion to the number of children

ü   Durability and cost effectiveness

ü   Extend of multi purposiveness

ü   Service availability for repairing

Guidelines for selecting toys and play equipment

• Play equipment should be philosophy oriented – that means it should comply with the method and theme of teaching. For example when you dealing with practical oriented life skills selected toys accordingly
• Durability of the toys and play equipment. Durable toys are both economical and long lasting. In an early childhood centers where children in the 2 – 6 years are dealt, the play equipment should be of utmost durability. These will be handled by many persons and the equipment should with stand the wear and tear the children inflict upon them.
• Cleaning of the equipment – periodical cleansing and disinfecting are needed for any materials used among preschoolers. It is mandatory for a preschool professional to maintain an infection free environment for the children to ensurea wholesome development. So the play equipment and toys should be convenient enough for washing and drying.
• Safety of the children – as children do not know the consequences of using dangerous toys, as an early childhood educator, one should examine the play equipment for the safety of the children using them. In programs that include children of different ages and abilities together, it is imperative that toys are safe for ALL of the children. Safety measures include the following

    o   Use toys and materials that are nontoxic.

o   For children less than three years of age, avoid toys with small parts or parts that can break off easily.

o   Be sure that the edges are smooth with no sharp objects or poorly conditioned wood.

o   Imagine the different ways the children in your group may play with the toy; does it appear safe for all of these uses?

o   Remove strings and cords that are long enough to pose a strangulation hazard.

o   Do regular safety checks and repair or remove broken/frayed toys and materials.

• Utility of the toys – look for play equipment which can serve multiple purpose. Almost any toy can be used in a variety of ways. Many toys come with directions or implied uses; but you look for other ways to incorporate the toy into children’s play.
•  Repairing and replacing facility – if any equipment is broken or worn out, immediate repairing facility should be available. If the material could not be repaired, then replacement facility should be readily available..
• Incorporation of different senses – Young children learn through the sense of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Play equipment and toys available in commercial market feature only the sense of sight or hearing. In an early childhood program, it is important to provide different kinds of experiences and to find toys that offer multi-sensory play experiences. An unusual texture, a prominent smell, an unusual movement, or a different sound can make a toy more inviting and increase the likelihood that young children will fully explore the toy. Children with significant disabilities depend on their senses to make sense of their surroundings (i.e. vision and hearing impairments). It is important to make a conscious effort to include toys that strengthen these senses.
• Promotion of interaction among children – one of the most important value of play is enhancement of social interaction. Children should learn to interact with the peers and adults while play, a play equipment should serve the purpose of group play. Whether indoor or outdoor equipment, the material should be good enough for the children to share their ideas and thoughts with other children. Toys that require two or more children to make them work encourage social interaction (i.e., parachute, teeter-totter). Toys that include enough parts and pieces for a number of children to participate readily promote interaction (i.e., balls, blocks).
• Promotion of independence – In order for children to direct their own play, they must be able to manipulate toys and play materials independently.

    While selecting toys, the majority of them should nurture the child’s ability to be self-directed. Look for toys that encourage open-ended play or those that children can fit into their own play ideas.

Care of play equipment

Care and maintenance of play equipment play an equally vital role to the selection process. Toys whether purchased or made from indigenous material should be properly taken care for its optimum use.

Arrangement of toys is the first step in the process of utilizing the toys effectively. Small, manipulative toys should be arranged attractively in a child friendly way (i.e) in low level open shelves. This will ensure easy accessibility of the toys for the children to use . The children should be facilitated to take and replace the toys on their own. This in turn inculcate a sense of responsibility and orderliness in the child.

An early childhood educator ought to pay constant attention towards the care and maintenance of play equipment. She should keep record of all the toys and also ensure their usage and maintenance. Periodically she must condemn the worn out equipment and replace them. The broken toys which are in need of repair work should be attended. Periodic safety checking and maintenance such as painting and varnishing has to be done

Conclusion

Play is a child’s work. Play is important for children’s development. Play is directed by the child and the rewards come from within the child. Play is enjoyable and spontaneous. Play helps your child learn social and motor skills and cognitive thinking.

There is a great emphasis on play and play equipment especially during early childhood years. A child’s development is greatly influenced and aids by the chances they get to deal with play equipment. Any toy or play equipment can be utilized for its fullest possible extent is only based the interest and awareness of the early childhood educator. The toy market is wider and is loaded with all sorts of toys differing in cost, make, utility, shape, size and colour.

An effective selection of play equipment together with appropriate usage serve the very purpose of using play as a medium learning for children. Proper care and maintenance help in enhancing the utility of play materials selected.

Select good toys, use them wisely, care them properly and ensure a pleasurable play atmosphere for the little ones.

Childhood is the period of play. Children cherish playing. Enable them to grow happily through play.

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