UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
PIAGET’S MODEL OF PLAY
Jean Piaget
Swiss psychologist who
was the first to make a systematic
study of the acquisition of
understanding in children.
In 1955, Jean Piaget
established the International Centre
of Genetic Epistemology at Geneva
and became its director.
PRACTICE PLAY
Approximately from birth to two
years. (0-2 years of age)
The sensorimotor stage of
development, children explore their
own bodies and the objects around
them using sight, sound, touch and
taste; the play here is often
repetitive.
SYMBOLIC PLAY
Approximately two to seven years.
(2-7 years of age)
The early in the
preoperational stage , children
develop the ability to allow one
thing to stand for another and
pretend play or make believe
begins to emerge.
Between the ages of 4
and 7, when their thinking is still
dominated by intuition rather than
logic, children first become
interested in games characterized
by rules, structure, and social
interaction.
GAMES WITH RULES
Approximately age seven to eleven
years. (7-11 years of age)
The latter part of the
preoperational stage of
development and into the concrete
operational stage play becomes
increasingly governed by rules.
SMILANSKY’S STAGES OF PLAY
Dr. Sara Smilansky
A developmental
psychologist who is best known for
her work on play training and its
effects on children.
Expanded on Piaget's
categories of play. Clay in the
Classroom: Helping Children
Develop Cognitive and Affective
Skills for learning (1988)
FUNCTIONAL PLAY
 Starts in infancy
 Child uses muscles and
senses to explore
materials
 Repetitive Play
 Start with exploring how
objects using 5 senses
and progresses to more
physical exploration
 Functional play continues
throughout childhood as
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
there are new items to
explore
CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY
 Starts around 2-3 years of
age
 Emerges as children gain
both experience playing
and knowledge about the
items with which they play
 Children learn different
ways to creatively use
materials to create objects
and patterns
 Children’s creations are
purposeful and planned
PRETEND PLAY
 Starts around 3 years of
age
 Emerges as imitation and
grows more complex and
imaginative as time
passes
 Children imitate the world
around them, pretending
to be other people and
using props
 One child alone is
dramatic play, while two or
more children engages in
sustained pretend play is
referred to as
Sociodramatic Play
GAMES WITH RULES
 Starts around 3+ years of
age
 Children take part in two
general types of games
with rules–table games
and physical/movement
games
 The focus of these games
tends to be on enjoyment
and cooperation more
than winner
 This type of play requires
that players control their
behavior and conform to
pre-made rules
PARTEN’S STAGES OF PLAY
Mildred Bernice Parten Newhall
An American sociologist
and researcher at University of
Minnesota's Institute of Child
Development.
Best known for her
dissertation which explains the six
theories or stages of play.
UNOCCUPIED PLAY
 The foundation of the
other five stages of play.
 The kid is not involved in
play activity, but she or he
is observing others' play.
SOLITARY PLAY
 Playing independently
from other children.
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
 Does not have social
involvement
ONLOOKER BEHAVIOR
 Almost related to
unoccupied behavior, the
kid may observe other
children and talk to them
but does not entirely
participate in the play.
PARALLEL PLAY
 Children are playing near
each other, but do not
interact.
ASSOCIATIVE PLAY
 Children start playing with
other children, but they
are more focused on the
interaction with other
children. The play is not
organized.
COOPERATIVE PLAY
 Children play with others
in a more organized way.
They can create rules and
work together to make
progress on the activity.
SHERIDAN’S TYPES OF PLAY
ACCORDING TO
DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCE
Mary D. Sheridan
Highly respected
community pediatrician and health
educator
More than forty years of
experience in supporting children’s
health and development
Children’s Developmental
Progress (1975) and Spontaneous
Play in Early Childhood (1977)
ACTIVE PLAY
 Gross motor control of
head, trunk and limbs.
 Promotion of physical
development and
provision of adequate
free-ranging space and
natural obstacles with
simple, safe, playground
equipment, mobile and
fixed.
EXPLORATORY AND
MANIPULATIVE PLAY
 Beginning at about 3
months with finger play,
age-appropriate gross-
motor, fine-motor and
sensory functioning.
 Everyday domestic
objects as well as
traditional playthings.
IMITATIVE PLAY
 Evident from 7–9 months.
 Child‘s ability to control
their body, manipulate
objects, integrate and
interpret multi-sensorial
experience and
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
comprehend simple particularly imitative role
language. play.
 At first, this imitation is  Make-believe play
fragmentary and follows depends upon a child‘s
immediately upon the ability to receive and
child‘s attention being express their ideas in
attracted to the activity some form of language-
which they imitate. code.
 Later they recall and GAMES-WITH-RULES
repeat for their own  A high degree of skill in all
amusement or for the foregoing types,
applause a series of these including full
meaningful actions. understanding and
acceptance of the
abstractions.
CONSTRUCTIVE (OR END-  Start at about 4 years
PRODUCT) PLAY when small groups of peer
 Beginning with very age children, under tacitly
simple block-building at acknowledged leadership,
about 18–20 months. improvise their own rules
 Possession of all the for co-operative play.
aforementioned motor and
sensory abilities with ERIKSON'S TYPES OF PLAY
intellectual processes Erik Erikson
involved in recognition German-American
and retrieval of previously developmental psychologist and
stored memories. psychoanalyst
MAKE-BELIEVE (OR PRETEND) Known for his theory on
PLAY psychological development of
 Beginning a couple of human beings
months before 2 years Believes that play
and elaborated for several provides a socially acceptable
years afterwards outlet for unconscious motives and
 Previous acquisition of all instincts
the foregoing types,
AUTOCOSMIC PLAY
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
 During the first year of life
 Children play with their
senses and their body,
such as exploring their
fingers and toes
 This play consists of
repetitive actions and
vocalizations
MICROSPHERIC PLAY
 In their second year of life
 Young toddler, children
begin to use small toys
 They begin to understand
the impact that their own
actions can have on the
environment.
MACROSPHERIC PLAY
 At around three years
 When children may enter
preschool or nursery, play
becomes more social
 Activities are shared and
children learn to play with
other children and are
able to deal with social
demands.
DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN'S
PLAY
0-12 months old
 Movements are
uncontrolled and
influenced by reflexes.
 Hand-eye coordination.
 Between 6 to 7 months
babies can hold two toys
simultaneously.
 By 7 months a baby can
differentiate familiar
people from strangers.
 By 8 to 9 months babies
can sit steadily on the
floor.
 Awareness of object
permanence
18-24 months old
 Discovery of push and pull
toys
 Can walk backwards and
sideways
 Crawling up.
 Hammering activity.
 By 24 months they
developed imitative role
play and inventive
imaginative play.
2-3 years old
 Improvement on
manipulative and
constructive play.
 Development in language.
 Solo play, looking on play
and associative play.
 Curiosity
 The child thinks that a
familiar adult automatically
understands what she
sees, feels, needs and
intends
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Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
3-4 years old
 Interact with other children
more readily.
 Spatial awareness and
fine motor skills are
rapidly improving.
 Likes outdoor play indoor
table and socio-dramatic
play.
 Exceptional talent and
ability at this age.
 Very imaginative
5-6 years old
 Development of
competence and powers
of communication.
 Participate in team games
and games with rules.
 Preference for specific
activities.
 Significant progress in
agility and strength.
 Understands the need for
taking turns in
conversation. FACTORS INFLUENCING PLAY
 May start to help and Individual Differences in Children
guide younger children in A child can show things
their play. about his or her life through play.
 Increasingly distinguishes Things such as culture,
between fact and fantasy. temperament, gender and
violence can all influence a
"Children learn as they play. Most child‘s play (Heidemann &
importantly, in play children learn Hewitt, 2010). These things can
how to learn" have an impact on how the
O. Fred Donaldson child plays.
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
1. CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
a. According to
(Heideman and Hewitt, 2010)
culture is in the play of all children.
b. The child‘s play can
represent many things in their
culture or language and can affect
their interactions with others during
play (Heidemann and Hewitt, 2010)
Role of Educators
Respect the culture and language
of the child they come in contact
with
What can we do to protect and
nurture the cultural and language
factors that affect children’s play?
Making sure all the children‘s
cultures are reflected in your
classroom
What can we do to protect and
nurture the cultural
and language factors that affect
children’s play?
Educators can talk with parents
about the child‘s language and
culture to have a better
understanding of the child’s life
2. GENDER
a. A child‘s gender is what
helps to make a child‘s identity
(Heidemann and Hewitt,2010).
b. Many children are
shaped in this role as what to
gender they are. A child‘s gender
can have an influence on what kind
of toys he or she will play with.
3.TEMPERAMENT
is the way children
respond to the world. Differences in
temperament influence the way
children handle emotions, regulate
behavior and feel around new
people
B. Nine characteristics that help
make up a child‘s temperament
(Heidemanna and Hewitt, 2010).
 Child’s activity level
 Regularity
 Adaptability
 Approach/Withdrawal
 Physical Sensitivity
 Intensity of a child’s
 Reaction
 Distractibility
 Mood
 Persistence
4. EXPERIENCE
Some children might not
have good exposure to play and
the
objects that go along with play. The
caregivers need to encourage
children to have more experience
with play.
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
5. VIOLENCE
Children often play out
things they have been a part of or
seen. The caregiver needs to help
redirect the violence that they are
showing in their play.
6. THE GIFTED
The gifted and talented
children sometimes miss out on
play with their peers because they
don‘t know how to interact with the
others. The teachers and
caregivers need to help and
support these children by
understanding the child‘s interest
and ideas
7. SPECIAL NEEDS
These children are sometimes left
out of play with other children. The
caregivers should support and help
the child with special needs to get
involved with play with peers
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The most important consideration
is that the environment must meet
the needs of the children.
Necessary things in the physical
environment:
safe, trusting environment, variety
of play areas, learning activities,
materials which meet their varied
needs and interests
Opportunities to explore:
 Messy activities
 Problem solving
 Independency
 Spend time alone
 Making choices or
decisions
 Involve in imaginative and
creative play
Insufficient space limits activities
and opportunities for social
interaction
Poorly organized space may cause
conflicts, disruptions and lead to
frequent teacher intervention
Guidelines for arranging spaces:
 A spacious, attractive and
inviting entrance
welcomes parents and
children to the center.
 Children require personal
lockers or cubbies for their
clothing and personal
belongings.
 Provide quiet and noisy
areas and separate the
two areas.
 Children require soft
spaces which reduce
noise and provide a
comfortable area.
 Provide visible pathways
which allow children to
move easily from one area
to another.
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
 Provide child-sized
furniture and equipment
so children are
comfortable in their
environment.
 Provide enough room and
materials in each play
area to encourage
cooperative play and
minimize conflict.
 As children are sensory
learners, they benefit from
a sensory rich
environment.
 Materials for children
should be easily
accessible to encourage
independence.
 Arrange the housekeeping
and block areas side-by-
side
 The environment must be
safe to allow children to
explore and learn in a
secure environment.
 For some children being
with large groups of
children for an
 entire day is stressful.
Children need a private
area for a retreat.
THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
It is the way that a classroom
environment influences or
supports the interactions that
occur among young children,
teachers, and family members.
To create a classroom environment
that supports positive social
interactions, teachers need to plan
activities that take the following
aspects into consideration:
1. Group size and composition
Activities suited for large and/or
small groups. Groups can either be
made up of children with similar
skills and abilities (homogenous
groups) or mixed abilities
(heterogeneous groups) Create
activities that require children to
work together and share materials
2. Teacher and child-initiated
activities
Teacher-initiated activities are
those that the teacher plans and
leads
Child-initiated activity is one that
allows children to follow their
interests and explore their passions
Assign classroom jobs or
responsibilities to help children feel
a sense of belonging.
3. Materials and activities that
promote interaction
Activities, games, and toys that
require two or more children to
participate Provide toys that are
likely to encourage social
interaction. Limit the amount of
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
materials so that children have to “learning through play.” In other
share to promote social interaction cultures, children’s play may be
seen as just a pastime and
separate
4. Building rapport with families from learning.
Offer opportunities for family
members (including immediate When a child’s self-identity is at
family, extended family, and odds with the social environment
community members) to volunteer due to cultural differences, it can
in the classroom hinder learning. Fortunately,
Include families in brainstorming culturally competent educators help
and planning activities to meet a children of all cultural backgrounds
child’s individual needs learn by showing an understanding
and acceptance of diverse cultures
CULTURAL INFLUENCES AND and how they make each child
PLAY uniquely valuable.
Children at play reproduce and also
recreate the specificities of their
cultural environment. Like every
human activity, it is affected by our
cultural context and different
cultures value and react differently
to play.

The various ways in which culture

flows throughout play activities:
 The Availability of time
and space
 Objects and Playmates
 Adult role models and
attitudes toward play

Parents in different cultures also

perceive play differently. Some see
children’s play as part of their
natural learning process —
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
domestic, or interpersonal
nature.
CREATIVE
 Generates new
responses, transforms
information, instills
awareness
COMMUNICATION
TYPES OF PLAY AND GAMES  Involves the use of words
or gestures
TYPES OF PLAY ACCORDING
TO
HUGHES, 1999
SYMBOLIC
ROUGH AND TUMBLE  The use of objects as
 Gauging strength, symbolic representations
discovering flexibility, of other objects
experiencing exhilaration FANTASY
SOCIAL  Rearranges the world in
 Everyone involved is the child’s way
expected to follow a set of IMAGINATIVES
rules  Rules of reality do not
DRAMATIC apply
 Dramatizing events where LOCOMOTOR
the child is not a direct  Movement for movement’s
participator sake
SOCIO-DRAMATIC MASTERY
 Enactment of real and  Control over the attributes,
potential experiences with aspects, or ingredients of
personal, social, domestic, the environment
or interpersonal natant OBJECT
ROLE  Uses sequences of hand-
 Exploring ways of being eye manipulation and
without necessarily having movements
a personal, social, RECAPITULATIVE
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
 Explores ancestry, history,
or culture
TYPES OF PLAY ACCORDING
TO
WHITEBREAD ET AL., 2017
PHYSICAL PLAY
 Earliest to evolve, can be
observed in most species
 Includes activity play,
gross or fine motor
practice, and “rough and
tumble” play
PLAY WITH OBJECTS
 Concerned with the
exploration of the world
and interaction with
objects within it
SYMBOLIC PLAY
 concerns play with the
various symbolic
representational systems
we use to make and
communicate meaning
PRETEND PLAY
 Develops social skills and
awareness of others’
minds, but evidence is
mixed or unsatisfactory
GAMES WITH RULES
 As children grow older,
they begin to enjoy games
with rules, and even
invent their own
TYPES OF GAMES INDOOR
GAMES
Indoor games are typically
any game which must be played
inside.
BENEFITS OF INDOOR
ENVIRONMENT
1. Provides a safe, secure, yet
challenging space for children.
2. For some children, it is like a
second home providing a place for
activity, rest, eating and sleeping.
3. Contains resources which are
appropriate, well-maintained and
accessible for all children
4. Indoor spaces are planned so
that they can be used flexibly and
an appropriate range of activities is
provided.
OUTDOOR GAMES
Must be played outside;
requires a large play area.
BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR
ENVIRONMENT
1. Has a positive impact on children
sense of well-being and helps all
aspects of children development.
2. Offers opportunities for doing
things in different ways and on
different scales than when indoors.
3. Gives children first-hand contact
with weather, seasons, and the
natural world.
 UNIT 2 Lesson 3
Developmental Sequence, Influencing
Factors, and Types of Play
4. Offers children freedom to
explore, use their senses, and be
physically active and exuberant.

BENEFITS OF INDOOR AND

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
1. Makes discipline
practicable.
2. Impacts educational
knowledge.
3. Identifies learner talents.
4. Teaches how to process
information.
5. Builds an impression of
the larger world.
6. Develops gross and fine
motor skills.
7. Develops emotional,
social, physical, and
intellectual capabilities.