Session 4

Session 4: Providing for Play

Inquiry 1: Nurturing Play

Play is the key to aiding in the social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional, and language development of children. It is important that child care providers organize and regularly evaluate the child care environment in order to enrich children’s play and encourage them to learn through self-exploration.

The nature of children’s play is based on several concepts, including the environment and the child care providers in the room. Trusting adults who provide appropriate, safe, and nurturing play opportunities encourage positive interactions among children and between children and adults. The ability to create these positive relationships will establish trust, encourage independence, and foster self-esteem in children.

Children will play anywhere at any time, and it is the child care provider’s responsibility to nurture those opportunities. Child care providers should be non-intrusive and encouraging to children to help them discover, gather, and use information, and to learn to problem solve in a positive, productive, and supportive manner.