Constructive Play
According to Smilansky (1968), constructive play is undertaken by children because they desire to produce some type of product or structure. Therefore, constructive play is considered to be goal-directed play. A wide variety of materials can be used for construction such as large or small wooden blocks, boards, and plastic blocks or shapes. Constructive play has characteristics of both play with objects and symbolic play. Sometimes children build just for the sake of assembling a structure. Other times children’s constructive play becomes symbolic as they build houses, skyscrapers, corrals, and other buildings. Both types of constructive play can be enhanced with props such as wooden or plastic action figures, vehicles, road signs, or trees. As they become more experienced at construction, children apply planning and problem solving
| Constructive play not only allows children to accomplish a goal, it enhances their cognitive and motor skills.
Associated Press |
and become quite innovative.
The way children play with construction materials may differ |
according to gender, especially
in kindergarten when boys and girls begin most noticeably to identify with their gender’s biological development and the customs and stereotypes of their culture. Field Notes 5.3 demonstrates the ways in which one teacher attempted to deal with this aspect of her children’s development.
| Field Notes 5.3: Dolls in the Block Corner?
Every morning during free play, Ms. Lam’s kindergarten boys headed straight to the block corner to create ever more complex and huge structures. Meanwhile, across the room, the girls participated with equal enthusiasm in creating household dramas with a variety of materials. Concerned about gender stereotyping, Ms. Lam decided to try shaking things up a bit by moving the girls’ preferred materials adjacent to the blocks. This had absolutely no effect as each gender continued to ignore the other. Ms. Lam then tried a class discussion focused on why the girls never played with blocks and the boys rarely participated in family drama. Everyone looked blank until Melinda said, “The boys never let us play there.” The boys responded indignantly and invited the girls to play with them any (continued) |
| Field Notes 5.3: Dolls in the Block Corner? (continued)
time. The next day, only Paige took them up on the offer, but she was soon defeated by the boys’ general rowdiness. Charles, meanwhile, joined the girls as “father” in their game and seemed relieved to be in a quieter place. Another meeting was called for. This time, the class decided that one day a week only girls could play in the block corner and only boys could play in the dramatic play corner. The designated Thursday arrived and Ms. Lam reminded the children of the new plan. The girls headed quickly to the blocks and, just as quickly, grabbed a few dolls to place in cradles made by slapping three or four blocks together. They then went about their dramatic play. Meanwhile, the boys wandered aimlessly around the room, finally settling on some unenthusiastic play with Lego blocks. When it was time for a debriefing of the morning, everyone agreed that they knew where they wanted to play and they wished Ms. Lam would just let them. She regretted admitting defeat, but agreed with their request. It was, after all, supposed to be freely chosen play. |
Now, here is your opportunity to respond to this story:
| Personal Learning Insight 5.2: What Would You Do?
Ms. Lam never did figure out what she should have done. Some teacher friends argued that she should continue fighting cultural stereotypes. Others believed that it was important to let children of this age engage in play that helped them understand better their own identities. What is your view on this? And what would you do next? |
Games with Rules
Games with rules typically involve at least two children, a game that includes some element of chance or challenge, and rules that are predetermined or negotiated before play begins. Piaget (1962) suggested that games with rules require the ability to view situations from more than one perspective; therefore, children are not fully prepared to play them until they reach the concrete operational stage. Thus, caregivers and teachers of younger children should offer, instead, play opportunities with no winners and losers. Musical chairs, for example, can be played without removing a chair; races can be run just for the joy they produce, and board games left open to ongoing rule changes. See Field Notes 5.4 for one second-grade teacher’s annual solution to children’s development related to this issue.