AREAS OF REAL PLAY

An area of real play must, according to Flemmen, satisfy the following fundamental characteristics of our nature:

• create activity,
• create contact, children must be able to do a lot of things together
• create investigation, children must try to investigate the unknown, both in a social and physical environment,
• create exploration, children must frequently wish look for the same. In this way they can learn more about themselves, about other children and about the environment
• create experimentation, children must be given the possibility to alter different aspects of the environment. They must be given the possibilities of their own imagination and creativity
• create the possibilty of moving the limits of their potential capacity and thus give them the enjoyment of stretching their personal capabilities.

Within these frames of thought about play one must show consideration that children have different basic qualifications.

Individual differences are a great inspiration for real play, but puts special requirements to the play area. If the play area is for everyone, there is a requirement that

All children must be able to choose the activity they wish to do with regards to

• who they are together with,
• their earlier experiences, and in respect to this
• what level of development they are at.

This requires

1. that the play area is designed in a way where there is a need for the child to use its' basic motoric abilities.
2. that the play area is created in a way that it demands movement from the child and which on a rising scale challenges the co-ordination between its' senses and its' movements.
3. that the play area stimulates the social development of the child
4. that the play area has so many activities that the child does not have to wait, or fight to be able to take part in play activities.

The following should be emphasised:

• Each activity should involve more than one person at the same time.
• The children should be able to group themselves in mini-groups: each area ought to consist of many small elements: i.e. soft-tennis, skipping areas, table-tennis , tennis rackets (many of each category).
• You can find the same quality of play activities several places in the play area
• One wishes to have a play area where the need for basic, motoric movements are used.

• One wishes to take care of and provide facilities that will develop the positive elements which already exist in the play area.