Why Play?
Occupational Therapy and Play often come hand in hand. This is because play is a major occuational role of childhood. Play is often used as a medium to engage children to address all their OT goals including motor skills, attention and concentration, social skills, self care e.g. dressing
PLAY
- To learn about their physical, social and emotional abilities and skills
- Explore motivation and achievement
- Imaginary world for mastery over unmanageable aspects of reality
- Activation, exploration and wonder
- Build interpersonal relationships
- Develop interest
- Develop concentration and problem solving skills
Social Play Categories
Unoccupied
- not playing, watching things of momentary interest
Solitary
- actively involved in play alone, usually object play, 12-18 months
Onlooker
- watching the play activity of others, may talk to them , doesn’t join play
Parallel
- playing alongside another child or group of children, often related or identical activity, may be similar toys, 24-30 months
Associative
- playing in a group, in an activity all share, but loosely related with no prior play, 30-36 months
Cooperative
- a group plays together on a game all have agreed on, planned for, and established some rules for, 36-42 months
Types of Play
CONSTRUCTIONAL PLAY
Manipulation of objects to construct or create something
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DRAMATIC/PRETEND PLAY
EXPLORATORY PLAY
Investigation of properties of toy, object, self or others
ROUGH AND TUMBLE PLAY
Involves pretense, acting out a role
FUNCTIONAL PLAY
GAMES WITH RULES
Sensorimotor or practice play appropriate to the situation
TECHNOLOGICAL PLAY
Recognition of increasing role that technology has in play repertoire of children