Tag: play theories

Free Flow Play by Tina Bruce

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Do you ever feel like modern children’s day is constantly scheduled, with barely a moment for free play? While structured activities have their place, there’s another kind of play crucial for fostering creativity, independence, and a love of learning: free-flow play. Let’s explore how this approach can transform your early childhood curriculum and benefit your program in surprising ways.

Who is Tina Bruce?

The free flow play approach is the brainchild of British Professor Tina Bruce, a leading expert in early childhood development and play-based learning. In this approach, children are encouraged to play in an environment free from rigid structures or adult-directed activities. I discovered the work of Tina Bruce while doing my Graduate Diploma of Education (post-graduate degree) and it made me question some of my practices and my role in children’s play.

Tina trained as a primary teacher at the Froebel Educational Institute, now part of Roehampton University. She went on to become a Froebelian educator guided by principles that promote a holistic approach to teaching young children.

What is Free Flow Play is About?

Here are some key features of free flow play according to Bruce.

  • Child-led exploration. According to Tina Bruce, children get to choose how they want to play, what materials to use, and who to play with. This allows them to explore their interests and creativity.
  • Free flow play requires minimal adult interference.  Educators act as facilitators, ensuring a safe and supportive environment but avoiding directing the play. This allows children to develop problem-solving skills and make their own decisions. This supports their sense of agency and true freedom.
  • Open-ended resources. The free flow play space is stocked with a variety of materials that can be used in multiple ways. This feeds children’s imagination and allows them to create their own play scenarios.
  • Focus on process, not product.  There’s no emphasis on achieving a specific end result during playtime. The focus is on the joy of exploration, experimentation, and the process of play itself. Play is viewed as “Flow” activity.

Bruce emphasises that free flow play isn’t just about fun and games. It’s a powerful tool for learning and development. Through this type of play, children learn a lot, for instance:

  • Develop social skills like cooperation, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
  • Boost their imagination and creativity.
  • Practice language skills through storytelling and pretend play.
  • Learn to regulate their emotions and develop self-control.
  • Experiment with concepts and ideas, which is part of the cognitive development.

The concept of flow is credited to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “mee-high CHIK-sent-mih-LYI”). He’s considered one of the co-founders of positive psychology and was particularly interested in understanding optimal states of performance and happiness. Through his research, he identified this state of complete absorption in activities as “flow.” He interviewed athletes, artists, and musicians to learn about these peak experiences and how they felt during them. The term “flow” itself arose because many people described their optimal states as instances where their work flowed effortlessly.

FLOW

While there’s minimal adult intervention, Bruce highlights the importance of a supportive adult presence. Adults can observe children’s play, providing guidance and support when needed. They can also enrich the environment by introducing new materials or sparking curiosity with open-ended questions.

But does it work with the EYLF 2.0?

The short answer is yes. The EYLF emphasises play as the fundamental way children learn and explore the world around them. Free flow play provides a platform for this intrinsic motivation to learn through open-ended exploration and experimentation. The EYLF outlines five learning outcomes: Identity and Belonging, Communication, Social Competence, Learning, and Physical Development. Free flow play allows children to develop these holistically. The EYLF values child-led learning, and free flow play allows children to take the lead in their play experiences. This fosters independence, curiosity, and a love of learning. Children make choices and express themselves through play, fostering self-confidence and a sense of agency. Play provides opportunities for collaboration, negotiation, and social interaction, developing communication skills. Free flow play encourages turn-taking, sharing, and resolving conflicts, building social skills, this links to the outcome 2 of the EYLF. Children explore concepts, solve problems creatively, and experiment during free flow play, all essential for learning and links well to the outcome 4 of the EYLF.  Depending on the type of play, children can develop gross and fine motor skills through free flow play.

What do you think about Tina Bruce approach to play? Is it something that resonates with your beliefs and ideas?

Why play is important in early childhood education?

~ storykate ~ Leave a comment

We have play-based curriculum in Australia, which means that play is considered an important tool and context for learning.

Here is why play is important for the holistic development of the child 👇🏼

  • Cognitive Development: Play allows children to explore and manipulate their environment, leading to the development of problem-solving skills, creativity, and imagination. They learn cause-and-effect relationships, practice decision-making, and develop their executive function skills, which are crucial for academic success.

When children play with a ball, they acquire concepts of space, distance, and object permanence. They develop memory and understand cause and effect.

  • Language Development: Play provides opportunities for children to communicate and express themselves verbally. Through play, they learn new words, sentence structures, and communication skills, which are fundamental for language development.

Playing with dolls and action figures promotes vocabulary expansion as children engage in dialogues and narratives.

  • Social and Emotional Development: Play fosters social interactions, helping children learn how to take turns, cooperate, negotiate, and resolve conflicts. It also promotes empathy and emotional regulation as children engage in pretend play and explore different roles and emotions.
  • Physical Development: Physical play activities like running, jumping, climbing, and playing with building blocks help children develop their gross and fine motor skills, strength, coordination, and balance.

Playing tag or catch improves running, jumping, and throwing abilities while enhancing coordination.

  • Creativity and Imagination: Play encourages children to use their creativity and imagination to invent scenarios, create stories, and explore different worlds. This stimulates their cognitive development and enhances their ability to think creatively.

Pretend play, like playing “house,” allows children to explore roles, relationships, and problem-solving scenarios.

  • Problem-Solving Skills: Play often involves challenges and problem-solving opportunities. Whether it’s building a tower with blocks or solving puzzles, children learn to think critically and develop strategies to overcome obstacles.

Solving puzzles during play helps children practice critical thinking and logical reasoning

  • Confidence and Self-Esteem: As children engage in play and successfully accomplish tasks or solve problems, they build confidence in their abilities. This self-assurance positively impacts their self-esteem and overall self-concept.
  • Curiosity and Interest: Play capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity and desire to explore their environment. It encourages them to ask questions, seek answers, and develop a love of learning that can extend into formal education settings.
  • Stress Reduction: Play is a stress reliever for children. It allows them to relax, release pent-up energy, and process challenging emotions in a safe and enjoyable way.

There is even a theory that is called play relaxation theory developed by Groos.

Karl Groos proposed the concept of “relaxation play” or “relaxation in play” as part of his broader theory of play. He argued that play serves as a way for children to release tension, practice and develop physical skills, and achieve a state of relaxation. In other words, play allows children to discharge excess energy and emotional tension, promoting their well-being and development.

Groos’s ideas on relaxation play are often associated with his book “The Play of Animals” (1898), in which he explored the play behaviours of animals and how they relate to the development of physical and mental skills. While his work primarily focused on animals, his theories were influential in shaping our understanding of play in both animal and human development.

  • Parent-Child Bonding: Play also facilitates bonding between parents or caregivers and children. Engaging in play activities together fosters positive relationships and helps parents understand their child’s needs and interests.

Peek-a-boo games with infants build trust and reinforce the concept of object permanence

  • Cultural and Social Learning: Play can be a way for children to learn about their culture, values, and societal norms. They often incorporate aspects of their surroundings into their play, facilitating cultural and social understanding.
  • Lifelong Learning Skills: Many of the skills developed through play, such as curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity, are foundational for lifelong learning. They provide a strong basis for academic success and adaptability in an ever-changing world.
Importance of Play in Early Childhood EducationSupporting Theories
Cognitive Development– Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development: Piaget emphasized the role of play in building cognitive structures. (Piaget, 1962)
🧠– Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory: Vygotsky highlighted the importance of play in cognitive development and how social interactions during play contribute to learning (Vygotsky, 1978).
Language Development– Social Interactionist Theory: Play encourages language development through interaction and communication (Vygotsky, 1978).
👅– Skinner’s Behaviorist Theory: Play reinforces language acquisition through positive reinforcement (Skinner, 1957).
Social and Emotional Development– Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory: Play provides opportunities for children to resolve identity and role conflicts (Erikson, 1950).
👯– Attachment Theory: Play enhances secure attachments and emotional regulation through caregiver interactions. (Bowlby, 1969)
Physical Development
🏃🏼		– Gesell’s Maturation Theory: Play allows children to develop physical skills as they reach developmental milestones. (Gesell, 1940)
Creativity and Imagination– Theories of Creativity: Play encourages divergent thinking, a key component of creativity (Guilford, 1950).
🎨– The Role of Imagination in Development: Play supports the development of imaginative thinking. (Taylor, 1999)
Problem-Solving Skills– Information Processing Theory: Play enhances problem-solving skills by engaging cognitive processes like encoding and retrieval (Anderson, 1983).
🧩– Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): Play within the child’s ZPD promotes the development of problem-solving abilities (Vygotsky, 1978).
Confidence and Self-Esteem– Self-Determination Theory: Play fosters feelings of competence and autonomy, contributing to self-esteem (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
Curiosity and Interest– Intrinsic Motivation: Play is intrinsically motivating, encouraging children to explore and learn (Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier, & Ryan, 1991).
Stress Reduction– Cathartic Function of Play: Play provides a safe outlet for children to express emotions and relieve stress (Freud, 1905).
Parent-Child Bonding– Attachment Theory: Play strengthens parent-child attachments and provides opportunities for responsive caregiving (Bowlby, 1969).
Cultural and Social Learning– Social Learning Theory: Play allows children to observe and emulate cultural and social norms (Bandura, 1977).
Lifelong Learning Skills– 21st Century Skills: Play promotes skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration, which are vital for lifelong learning (Partnership for 21st Century Learning).
– The Importance of Early Learning: Research shows that early childhood experiences, including play, have a lasting impact on future academic success and well-being (Heckman, 2012).

What do you think about play?