The Frameworks and the Reggio Emilia Approach all say children should be allowed large blocks of time for unstructured play. This means they should be allowed to play for ages and there shouldn't be any boundaries on their play. There shouldn't be an expected result or end of the play. If the children want to run around and do lots of different things they can. If they want to sit and play with the water all day they should be able to. Children should be free even at kinder - so less group mat times and more exploring.
We mustn't hurry children along all the time, forever telling them to pack up or move on to something new.
Of course, there are times that they will need to be interrupted like to eat lunch or to go home but some things that can be done so as to encourage them to go back to their play are:
don't have set lunch times - allow the children to get their lunch when they feel hungry;
don't have set indoor and outdoor times - allow the children to go in and out as they feel like;
pop a sign on any unfinished creations letting others know not to pack it away or knock it over.
QUESTION FOR KATE
Do you remember when we painted for 2 hours to music? Do you remember when you played with water with the children for most of the day? Do you remember when we sat in the sandpit with the children and just played? These were all examples of unstructured, open ended play. How did these experiences of not watching the time and just playing make you feel? Write your thoughts down on the whiteboard.
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