1. SRG AS LEVEL PE - CS
THE CONCEPT OF PLAY
We have seen that the concepts within our Field of Study can be illustrated in the form of a continuum
(an imaginary scale between two extremes). The continuum shows that there are changes in certain
aspects of our activities such as level of organisation and skill. We could picture the scale as shown:
PLAY PHYSICAL RECREATION SPORT
We will be looking further at the terms mass participation and sporting excellence and how each of
these can be achieved in our society but at this stage we should simply understand that the concepts can
be linked to the extremes of our continuum: Play is the broadest concept in that it is open to all
(inclusive) sport however, particularly at a high level, is not available to everyone (exclusive). It may
exclude people in terms of ability, time or opportunity.
According to one theory, ‘If it’s fun, it’s play’. Our task is to clarify the nature of play in its purest form.
Play is for everyone but it is true that children play more than adults – this is possibly due to time
constraints on adults! Play is a temporary experience that makes us feel good. Generally there are no
predetermined rules for play we simply do it for its own sake and immediate enjoyment. Because nothing
tangible comes from it, we can say it is non-serious and encompasses the freedom to choose when and
where to play
Play is a valuable experience however and can give us to develop ourselves in various ways:
Physical Moral
(e.g. running & jumping) (e.g. being fair &
not cheating)
Environmental
(e.g. safety) Cognitive
(e.g. decision-making &
devising rules)
Social
(e.g. making friends &
working with others)
Play is something we do either on our own or with others. It has little to do with reality it simply makes
us feel good. Play tends to start out spontaneously and then maintains some level of spontaneity
throughout. But if the same group regularly plays together then the play can become more formalised
with rules being established to help continuity. In other words:
‘An activity from which you get immediate pleasure without ulterior motive’ (Spencer)
With play, time and space are both decided by agreement. They are both basic freedoms associated with
play including your decision when to start and stop, and where to play. Whilst there may be others
involved with the decisions, one can always walk away; and the environment chosen will probably
influence the nature of the play and certainly developments within. Or:
‘A voluntary activity, never a physical necessity or moral duty’ (Huizinga)

2. SRG AS LEVEL PE - CS
DO CHILDREN AND ADULTS HAVE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WHEN PLAYING?
Play is play whoever plays it but the players may interpret it in different ways and anticipate different
values from the experience of it.
The analysis, that children and adults derive separate pleasures from play and that children increase
their mastery of reality whilst adults merely step aside from reality, has some credence when you
consider the table below that looks at what we are doing when at play:
CHILDREN ADULTS
Pretend to be grown up Escape from the real world of work
Role play adult situations Gain cathartic value (psychological relief)
Learn to get on together Enjoy the non-serious nature of play (pure
pleasure)
Establish lasting friendships
Takes them back into a child-like mode
Find out about themselves
Allows a serious adult to express personal
Learn physical skills and decision making interests and attitudes without the likelihood
of redress
Note, however, that there are exceptions to the rule:
• Children will often escape into their play-world as they pretend and act spontaneously.
• Adults can master reality in terms of social relationships that are built up through shared
interests.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PLAY.
The value of play lies in the fact that it can perform so many functions. Consider a game of ‘Hide &
Seek’ and we can see many aspects that might promote physical, mental and social well-being (health):
Notion of a group working co-operatively to find/
Civilisation rehearsal
help/catch
As parents they will need to find children, pets or
Role rehearsal
other objects
Surplus energy An active game with plenty of chasing
Transmission of culture Why do Aboriginal children regularly play it?
Could stimulate such traits as endeavour and co-
Personality development
operation
It’s non-serious, but exciting: different from
Cathartic function
normal life
With so many associations in any one situation there is an absence of a single manifest function. This
allows the playground to become one of the best environments for learning as performers and ‘learning

3. SRG AS LEVEL PE - CS
about’ as observers. It is therefore understandable why PE teachers use the medium of play as a way of
teaching their subject. If children are encouraged by play and games, they experience decision-making,
the consequence of rule breaking and the heart-ache of upsetting a friend.
Educational psychologists, such as Jean Piaget, strongly promote the role of play as having a perceived
educational value. This is most strongly evident in theories of educational gymnastics, modern dance and
games making. In all three there is an emphasis on the child discovering the potential and the skills of
these activities on the grounds that in the process of problem solving, they learn more about themselves,
learn to make decisions and learn to accommodate others.
WHY IS PROFESSIONAL SPORT DIFFERENT FROM PLAY?
Using the diagram drawn by Davies:
PLAY
Activities from which you get
immediate pleasure without ulterior
motive
SPACE
TIME
Basic freedom, decided by
Basic freedom, decided by
agreement. Environment may
agreement
influence nature of play.
ENJOYMENT
The emotional core of play: people
looking for a pleasurable experience.
INTRINSIC SPONTANEOUS
VALUE Play is emotionally led. It has no
Participation for its own sake, ulterior motive. Rules are not
where rewards are incidental fundamental and arise only to
and benefit only for the player sustain play.
NON-SERIOUS
Because it’s non-productive and
linked to intrinsic values.
One can identify that the brief explanations of the characteristics of play and recreation, I have included
above, all contrast strongly with the ideals of professionalism in sport:
PLAY SPORT
• Time & Space Freedom v. Constraints
• Enjoyment Pleasure v. Pressure
• Value Intrinsic v. Extrinsic
• Organisation Spontaneous v. Rational
• Product Non-serious v. Very serious