In the first post of this series on play, I stressed the importance of play as essential to learning and the development of creativity. But those are not the only benefits of play for our children (and ourselves). Taking a look at HOW children play will also enlighten and inform our interactions with them as parents or teachers.
To help us understand our children and how they play, we see that various (non-linear) stages of play have been identified. A few examples of these stages include: Onlooker, Independent, Parallel, and Cooperative. Be an observer of your own child and other children around them. Are they watching from the sidelines, not directly engaged? Are they focused solely on their own activity, seemingly unaware of their surroundings? Are they playing separately, but in close proximity to others and seem aware, or may imitate others’ actions? Are they engaging with others and organizing their play around assigned roles? If we’re paying attention, all this happens in the course of a Music Together class. That is one of the beautiful aspects of the Mixed-Age or Family model.
All the various stages are represented in any given week—just look around! None of these stages is right or wrong for any given child at any time. Remember, stages of play are not necessarily linear or progressive. Children will step in and out of these stages based on their level of comfort in the environment and their personality or temperament.
You may notice your teacher keeps on singing and being silly even though your child is just staring at her and not joining in. Because we know this child is an “Onlooker,” we can relax and know that she is doing her own kind of play. And because we know that when a child plays, she learns, we can relax and know that she’s doing her own kind of learning. At home, just follow your teacher’s example. Sing a song, be silly and let your child join you with her own play, in her own way—even if it looks to you like she’s not playing at all.
Types of play include Sensorimotor/Physical, Practice, Symbolic/Dramatic, Social, Constructive, and Games with Rules. Again, in a Music Together class, these are all represented at some point—on purpose! We explore our senses, repeat and practice new skills, use our imaginations, interact with others, create, and organize ourselves (think galloping in,or passing eggs around a circle). Some children will engage more freely with certain types of play than others. If they don’t choose to engage, it doesn’t mean they “don’t like music class.” The best environment for exploration is one in which there is no judgment or “performance” required. So, if your child doesn’t participate in class, watch them at home. See if they practice or engage in dramatic musical play at home or in the car. Please resist the urge to try to recreate those moments in class. Let’s just trust that each child will play and learn in a way that is best for them at the time. However, sharing stories of musical play at home with your teacher is encouraged! It’s a wonderful way to connect and affirm her work in the classroom.
So, musical play opens up all sorts of new possibilities for interaction with our children and our classroom community. Music has the ability to bypass language. We use songs without words intentionally in our classes to allow our pre-verbal children to process the song without taxing the language side of their brain! Musical play allows for cognitive development: experimentation and learning. Play improves emotional regulation. Adding music provides a powerful connection with others in addition to its amazing mood-balancing power. When we play musically, we help our children regulate their own emotions. What’s more, our own grownup emotions have room to breathe when we actively engage musically with our children. What a wonderful gift to give each other!
You’ve seen it—the child doesn’t want to let go of the instrument after the play along, but because we’re all singing “Bye-bye instruments…we’ll see you again next time…” the child learns an important lesson about transition; and begins, over time, to understand the act of letting go is rewarded by entry into the next activity. This lesson and many others are introduced to our children in a playful, fun, interactive environment where they are free to be themselves.
This week, watch your child at home. What stages of play do you observe them demonstrating? How can you connect with them through play? A simple game of musical peek-a-boo communicates love, reinforces cooperation and anticipation, encourages experimentation, and affirms the emotional connection you have with your child.
Play musically with your child today!
Rhythm and Rhymes 