4. DEFINITION OF PLAY
Play is the activity that has no serious motive and from
which there is no material gain. The distinction between
work and play however lies in the mental attitude.
Football can be play for children or can be work
and means of earning for the professional footballer.
7. IMPORTANCE OF PLAY
Play help in development in children in various
aspects i.e.
Physical,
Intellectual or educational,
Emotional,
Moral and social.
12. TYPES OF PLAY
Play is the natural and spontaneous. It depends upon
age, sex, interest, personality, ability, cultural pattern and
social economic status of the childs family.
Play, playtime, playmates decrease as the age increase.
Play is social behavior which differs in various age groups
and depends upon the level of development. It is
individualized behavior.
13. Infant :
Usually engage in social affective play, sense pleasure play and skill play.
In social affective play infants response by smiling, cooing in the
interacting adults.
In sense pleasure play. They learn and explore environment through
various sensory experience.
They develop skill through imitation. Young children also engage in sense
pleasure play and skill play.
Preschool children:
Preschool children enjoy dramatic play through which they identify
themselves with adult and dramatize adults behavior.
14. School children :
School children enjoy competitive sports, games and they develop hobbies
for recreation and diversion. School age children imitate and dramatize more
complex activities even acting out stories in books.
Adolescents :
Adolescent and older school age children engage in a more sophisticated
type of fantasy activity called day dreaming. They spend their leisure time in
competitive sports, operating computers, watching television, listening to the
radio, reading etc.
15. Play behavior can be described as unoccupied, solitary, on looking,
parallel, associative and cooperative.
In unoccupied play behavior
The child is not involved in play activity but may move around randomly,
crawl under a table, climb on and off a chair or follow another person or just
stand alone with least social involvement.
16. Solitary independent play
Solitary independent play indicates when the child plays alone
independently. Toddlers and pre-toddlers engage in this type of concentrating
play with less interaction with others.
On looking play :
Onlooker play behavior found when the child watches other play but does not
become engaged in their play. The child may sit nearby or near or see what
others are doing or talking as she/he feels interest.
17. Parallel play :
Parallel play is an independent play activity when the child plays alongside
other children but not with them. They play similar or identical play as other
children play nearby.
Cooperative play
Cooperative play behavior is found in preschool and school children. They
engage in formal game in group like football or dramatic play of life situation.
18. SELECTION AND CARE OF
PLAYMATERIALS
Selection of play materials and toys depends upon age, abilities, interests, like and
dislikes, culture, experience, personality and level of intelligence of the child.
The play materials should have the following characteristics:
Safe, washable, light weight, simple, durable, easy to handle and non-breakable.
Realistic, attractive, constructive and offer problem solving opportunities.
No sharp edges and no small removable parts which may be swallowed or inhaled.
Not over stimulating and frustrating.
19. No toxic paints, not costly, not inflammable and not excessive
noisy.
Play things with electrical plugs should be avoided, only
children over 8 years of age should be permitted to use them.
Parents should avoided impulse of buying toys because
of advertisement in the mass media. Toys can be
purchased on the basis of the above mentioned criteria and
safety measures to be followed.
Supervision during play is important to prevent
accidental injury.
20. Correct use of toys. Parent should explain the direction for use and
the caution labels.
Safe storing of toys in a space with easy reach and away from busy
areas.
Keep the play things in good conditions. Parent should repair or
discard damaged and broken toys.
The wrong toys for the wrong ages can be injurious to children.
Electronic toys and games can also be shared by the adults in the
childrens play time. Parents may interact and initiate the use with
precaution.
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PARENTS
34. ROLE OF NURSE
The nurse should encourage and motivate the children and parents for
play and make them aware about the importance of play.
Parents should allow the child to play and arrange the play things.
The important nursing responsibility is to teach the parent about safety
measures and observation, interaction and supervision of the children
during play.
Nurse should initiate play at home, hospital, or in health care agency
depending upon the individual choice with high flexibility.
Nurse should inform about the modern concept of play to the parents.
