our job is to facilitate and protect a child’s right to play. CHILDRENS PLAY AND THE PLAY CYCLE – Children Playing at Hokey Cokey As Playworkers our job is to facilitate and protect a child’s right to play. Play is the natural activity of children. I am sure by now…..…..as you’ve been Playworkers for some time now……..you have observed first hand a child’s desire to play. At Hokey Cokey for example some children are extremely pro-active in their play…..sometimes they even have a pre-determined plan and expectation of their time at Hokey Cokey. Children running excitedly into the hall and straight away building dens.……and writing signs to put on stating …’no boys or no girls’ ! When I collect them from class I recognise their intentions from their language and behaviours. Other children see what grabs their attention when they walk in……..taking advantage of what play equipment is in front of them. This makes it very important for us Playworkers to create a varied and stimulating play environment. There are one or two of our children that watch others playing….dipping in and out as and when they choose. All this probably sounds a little obvious but through national and International research and observation it has been recognised and legislated and in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - UNCRC (1989) it states ‘a child’s right to play’. Many elements that once advocated children’s play decades ago such as time, open space and trust has profoundly changed and as a consequence impacted society as a whole. Along with pressurised parent working schedules, media sensationalism and seductive advertising children have lost those positive elements and have now have been described as ‘wrapped in cotton wool’ or ‘battery reared’. Freely chosen, self-directed play promotes problem solving skills and development …….physically, psychologically and socially. The Hokey Cokey Club C/o Holmesdale Community Infant School Alma Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0BY Mob:
our job is to facilitate and protect a child’s right to play. CHILDRENS PLAY AND THE PLAY CYCLE – Children Playing at Hokey Cokey As Playworkers our job is to facilitate and protect a child’s right to play. Play is the natural activity of children. I am sure by now…..…..as you’ve been Playworkers for some time now……..you have observed first hand a child’s desire to play. At Hokey Cokey for example some children are extremely pro-active in their play…..sometimes they even have a pre-determined plan and expectation of their time at Hokey Cokey. Children running excitedly into the hall and straight away building dens.……and writing signs to put on stating …’no boys or no girls’ ! When I collect them from class I recognise their intentions from their language and behaviours. Other children see what grabs their attention when they walk in……..taking advantage of what play equipment is in front of them. This makes it very important for us Playworkers to create a varied and stimulating play environment. There are one or two of our children that watch others playing….dipping in and out as and when they choose. All this probably sounds a little obvious but through national and International research and observation it has been recognised and legislated and in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - UNCRC (1989) it states �...