Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/supporting-constructive-play-in-the-wild/5013326/
Good playgrounds include environments that encourage a variety of play: physical/motor play, social/dramatic play, and cognitive play - constructive play and games with rules. Each of these kinds of play are not only essential for the healthy development of young children but can best be supported and enhanced in the outside playground (Johnson, Christie, & Yawkey, 1999). Different play environments and equipment are needed to encourage each of these kinds of play. Constructive play teaches children important skills, develops critical cognitive concepts, and is their favorite kind of play on the outside playground, But, unfortunately, constructive play is often the play activity least available for children in outdoor playgrounds, for a variety of reasons. How can this situation be rectified?Constructive play involves manipulation of materials to create things: sand, art materials (paint, large chalks, clay, paper), water, woodwork activities, sticks and stones, and a variety of different sized and different type of blocks. Constructive play is the kind of play children engage in when building, creating, making - constructing. It differs from purely motor play in that children are doing something with the materials: using mud and water to create mud pies, digging in the sand to create a tunnel for ...