Understanding Play

Facilitated by Rarni Rothwell

What is play? How does it manifest in OSHC? How does it begin, develop and end? How does it help children develop? Which theories can I draw on as an educator to further understand it’s complexities?  How does it fit into My Time, Our Place?  What does this mean for all aspects of the curriculum?  Where do I need to focus my intentionality? Beginning with examining the evolutionary role of play, in particular the work of Dr Peter Gray, we will spring board into Playwork Theory, specifically Play Cycles, 16 Play Types, Play Affordances and  Play Environments. We will also consider play from a Post Structural perspective and examine the uncomfortable aspects of play that we are sometimes confronted with in OSHC (and the real world) and the various options we have as educators to respond to the important work at hand.