Open ended and loose part play – Our favourite pastime is observing children play, and our very favourite is their open-ended play. For many years my office has overlooked our 2-3’s unit, and apart from not doing my hearing much good, it is endlessly inspiring to observe the children. By open-ended play, I mean play in which the children themselves – not adults – decide what to do, how to do it, and what to use. Such play is fascinating because it gives a glimpse into children’s personalities and genius. During open-ended play, children will portray objects, act out stories or express ideas. The confidence established as children represent ideas in concrete ways builds a strong foundation for the forms of representation they will need in the future. The foundation must come first.
Block play - Both block play and writing are forms of symbolic representation. When we write, our marks on the paper represent ideas. Children creating with blocks are representing ideas. Our children need to be able to express themselves in concrete ways before progressing to abstract methods. Through block play, children build a foundation for future literacy. Boys often express their intelligence in three-dimensional ways, like block play. If they are deeply engaged in their activity, we can trust that they are developing the fine motor control, and the confidence, that will ultimately support their writing skills – when they are ready.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) - underpins everything that we do at The Pines, it is recognised as one of the building blocks of success in life. We support our children’s development by helping them to interact effectively and develop positive attitudes to themselves and others.
