Play is our Work · way through their own will activity. It is truly remarkable to see how the...
Transcript of Play is our Work · way through their own will activity. It is truly remarkable to see how the...
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PlayisourWork
Watchingyoungchildrenbeingfullyimmersedinself-directedplayisapreciousgiftforadults.Playistheworkoftheyoungchild.Itisofvitalimportanceandhasahealth-givingquality.Whatdoestheyoungchildneedinordertoenterfreelyintochild-initiatedandchild-directedplay?Whatistheroleoftheadult?
Childrenneed,foremostofall,timeandspacetoplayawayfromthewatchfuleyeofparentsorteachers.Theywilldirecttheirplaythemselves,exploring,seekinghidingplaces,collectingtreasuresandthusimmersingthemselvesintotheirownworld.Theyoungchildobservespeople,objectsandoccurrencesinthesurroundings.Withitsinnatefacultytoimitateplayisinitiatedandcarriedoutbasedontheseobservations.Playisaformofwrestlingwiththematerialworld,exploringitspropertiesandlearningthroughexperienceabouttheeffectsone’sownactioncanhave.
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Theroleoftheadultinthisprocessistoprovideappropriatetimeandspaceinwhichthisplaycanunfoldinanundisturbedmanner.Open-endedplaymaterialslikepiecesoffurniture,pillows,sheetsandblanketsforindoorplayaswellasnaturalmaterialsfromtheoutdoorsareessential.Inanimaginativeapproachtothesematerialstheyoungchildtransformsthemwitheaseandgreatflexibilityasplayunfoldsandchanges.
Thechild’splaycanbeguidedbytheadultindifferentways.Asthechildfollowstheimpulsesfromwithinitsbeing,theparentcanfollowthechild’sleadbyunderstandingwhatthechildisinterestedin.Thiswillallowtheadulttoinventivelyintuitwhatandhowplaymaterialsshouldbeofferedforfreeuse.Itisalsoimportantfortheparenttopracticenottointerveneinthechildren’splay
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unlessthereisariskordangerforthechildren.Bybeingactivelyengagedindomesticorartistictasksrightnexttotheplayingchild,adultsbecomerolemodelsfordevotionandskillintheirwork.Andfinally,adultsneedtolearntotrustthatthechildrenwilltakeinthenourishingandsupportivequalityoftheenvironmentcreatedbycaringadultsandwilltransformtheseinameaningfulwaythroughtheirownwillactivity.
Itistrulyremarkabletoseehowthechild’ssoulandspiritareactiveinfreeplay.Theelementofthoughthasnotyetbeenabsorbed.Anditisakindofplaywhichcomesintobeingwithoutanynotionofuseorpracticality;itisthekindofplayinwhichthechildonlyfollowswhatcomesfromwithin.…Thewaythechildlivesintoplayoriginatesinthefreedomofthechild’ssoul,butonlyseeminglyso.Forwhenoneobservesmoreexactly,onewillseehowchildrenincorporateeverythingtheyexperienceintheworldtheylivein.…Whenonehassharpenedone’spowersofobservationinthisrespect,onewillnolongerlookuponplayofthiskindassomethinginteresting,somethingwhichjusthappensinacertainphaseofthechild’slife.Onewillputplayinperspectiveandviewitscharacterinthecontextofatotalbiography.(RudolfSteiner,GA335)
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ByAnkeScheinfeld,RudolfSteinerSchoolKindergarten