The document describes an exercise conducted with students aged 11-12 at St. Anne's Academy in Kenya where the teacher implemented "Right to Play" in their lessons by having the students bring toys from home and engaging in outdoor play activities while learning English language patterns. The teacher observed that integrating play into the lessons improved student engagement and learning as play is important for child development and a right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

1. EXERCISE 3
Play and learn
Country: Kenya
School: St. Anne’s Academy
Class: 6 Time; 3 hours divided into 3 sessions
Age: 11 and 12 years
Topic: Right to play
Sub-topic: Right to play implemented in learning.
Preparation: Requested two parents for an appointment at their respective homes for an interview
: Ask the pupils/ learners to bring items that they can use for playing from home (different from
what we have in school)
Process: 1st session
I took the class outside and we sat as from the photo below.

2. Then I ask them “Do you play when you are not in school?”
There was a chorus answer of
“Yes”
Makau: “But only if I get time,”because most of the time I
babysit my baby sister while my mother
performs house chores and prepares supper.
Teacher: “But you can play with your baby sister.”
Makau: but I can’t fully enjoy her play, like arranging block, I prefer football with my age mate
neighbor.
Teacher: but you get time when the baby is asleep.
Abigael: I also play rarely; I live with my aunt who works late in the evening, so I do all house chores
before my aunt return from work. On Saturday I do general cleaning for the whole family

3. Teacher: but you can play indoor play,
Abigael: yes I like filling puzzles from daily Newspaper
Teacher: that is still good.
Noel: My mother said I was becoming overweight, so she bought me a bicycle, I ride my bicycle after
school.
Peter: We live in a flat, where there is no space to play. So I either play along the road or in the house.
Teacher: what do you think about peter playing at home?
Pupils: in a chorus answer; it is very dangerous to play along the road, even if the road is not busy.
I agree with the class and encourage them that it is good and healthy to play as long as this does not
put them to any danger

4. above
Session 11.Interview with Baba Trevor a father of two boys: (5and 6 years)
Teacher: Do your sons play outside school
Parent: sometimes they do but other times they are busy in the house because I cannot be able to
employ a house help and pay their school fees.
Teacher: Do you think it is important for them to play at home?
Parent: Not really, their play in school is enough for them.
Teacher: What about an indoor game?
Parent: My house is small,
Teacher: Some plays do not need space, like play cards
Parent: I understand I will think of it
Teacher: Thank you for giving me your time.

5. Mama patience (a mother of a girl 4 and a boy 5 years)
Teacher: “Do your children play when they are at home?”
Parent: Yes; but its all after they finish homework.
Teacher: Do you think it’s important for them to play outside school.
Parent: I think it do help them relax after a busy day at school.
Teacher: Does playing have anything to offer for their growth and development?
Parent: Yes, I believe it plays a part in their development.
Teacher: Thank you, play is quite good and health for your children, more so free play. It is also their
right as children.
Session 111
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PATTERN: too + adjective +for + to

6. Pupils had brought playing materials from home, like small balls, skipping ropes, bean bags.
We went outside with the class and divided the class into two groups, and then I allowed them to play
free choice play with the item.
Group A: Organized themselves and started skipping as seen in the photo
, Akinyi did not skip well as others, and then I asked the group
“why do you think she cannot skip well?”
Some said she is slow, others she does not know how to skip well.Akinyi skipping below
I asked them to construct a sentence using the English pattern:
The skipping rope was too fast for Akinyi to skip well.
Group B:
Organized themselves to play “cattie” a local children game:
they divided themselves into two groups, one for boys and the
other for girls.
When I went to the group, girls, the had two point and boys none. I asked Wanyau one of the boys to
construct a sentence using the pattern we had learnt in class and explain the how about of the game.
“The girls are too strong for the boys to score a point”
Teacher: very good.

7. As we constructed I was joined by another Teacher who recommended the fun with language lesson.
When the lesson was over the pupils had learnt and played.
My school administration is recommending this type of teaching since it has improved the monotony
classroom teaching.
Children are getting interested in exploring and learn more
As I passed outside during tea taking time I overheard Heyden shouting:
“This tea is too hot for me to drink”
I just peeped and recommended him for that.
Reflection from myself, other teachers, parents and children.
-Playing is part of childhood, but is the recent future adults have interfere with the free choice of play
-Circumstance like safety for our children has also affected play; hence parents are not able to release
their children to play freely.
- Lack or presence of facilities also affects play either positively or negatively
-Financial status of the family also affect play in particular children. E.g. the parent I interviewed by
his children playing at home
-Play depends on the level of maturity, Individual interest and facilities provided.
-Children prefer free choice play which mostly involve nature but not man-made environment
-Children with disability like mobility need to be take care not to affect psychological, because of
being sideline in some play activities like gymnastic, I believe their disability is not inability, and given

8. chances they improvise play that can fit them, because nature has a space for every human being no
matter their status , below is a special child playing with others
-One type of play has varied benefits to a child e.g. social, physical, mental or imaginative making up
an all round child.
-Playing help the child to release tension and stress and therefore life becomes worth living.
-Every play stimulate the development of a different aspect of a child life e.g. co-operation, being fair,
to follow rules, think of action to take, consequences of their decision, plan strategies of tackling new
problem in trial and error, making up a holistic child
References:
UN convention on the Rights of children
Article 2: No discrimination even to disabled children
Article 23: In UNICEF children should be protected from injury
Article 3: Decision should be made to the best interest of children
Article 6: Right to life, survival and develop healthy.
Article 12, 28 &29: Respect the views of children

9. Article 31: Right to rest and leisure to engage in play and recreation activities appropriate to age of
the child.
Article 54: Childhood itself is a right worthy of protection in every nation
Child care A to Z by Dr. Richard and Woolf son
“The E-Learning has helped us to take teaching outside class to our daily routine.”