1. RESEARCH FINDINGS
0
1
1
PLAY IS WORK
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“Play is what I do when
everyone stops telling
me what to do”
ettings
ART OF LEARNING
S
Day care
0-4 years old
Infants, toddlers and preschoolers
were observed in a day care near
Delhi, India over few days, as they
interacted, communicated, laughed,
cried and developed during play.
WO R K ’
‘P L AY I S A aC H I a gDt’ S
n Pi
L
e Preschools
Je
I have been exploring and unravelling the miracle of play in the 3-6 years old
lives of children and adults over the past two years. This newsletter Children in three very distinct
settings for preschoolers were
shares some of my learnings during Oct-Dec 2011 based on our observed as they played indoors
experiences with children 0-8 years in different settings. and outdoors.
K-12 schools
Tra n sa c tio n o f P l a y
4-8 years old
lay is oft used word to At the conference, I presented 3
P describe the teaching
learning in schools and at
home. Universally, synonymous with
play stories of young children - how
they played, how they developed as
they played and impact of presence/
These were very reputed schools
near Delhi, India. Children were
observed while playing both indoors
and outdoors over few weeks, 2-3
childhood, play manifests absence of adults on flow during
times in a week.
differently and distinctly, but the play.
underlying factors and principles
remain the same.
Homes
Ad u l t s - c a r e g i v e r s , p a r e n t s ,
In November 2011, I was asked to educators - were also surveyed and 0-8 years old
present my independent research interviewed as I grappled with the In their abodes, children were
on Play at an international nuanced disruptions and observed as they engaged in
conference on education. I began facilitations to play due to divergent gender specific play, open ended
formalizing my research and responses from adults. play, board games and role play.
analysis beyond conversations, blogs Children were observed over a
I extend my gratitude to all those period of two years.
and webinars. Although the subject
of my observations were young adults and children, who made the
children but transaction of play in time to participate in the survey / Open spaces
i n te r v i e w s a n d w e l co m e d m y
the lives of children cannot be
constructed without also observing observant presence around them. 2-6 years old
the adults around them. Play stories of two children from
socio-economically disadvantaged
backgrounds in India.
Copyright 2011 Art of Learning. All rights reserved. Page 1

2. Research findings
A du lt pe r c e p t i o n s a b o u t p lay
Adults
PARENTS EDUCATORS / CAREGIVERS
5% Play continues to be pervasively
prevalent in the lives of children
today as it was ever before, what
has changed significantly is the
attitude and outlook of adults
95%
towards play.
Yes No Parents
Did you play as a child?! Were you playful as a child?! Of 0-4 year olds
15 parents of children 0-4 years old
were interviewed through a
questionnaire. Another set of 12
27% parents of this age group participated
in an online survey. They represented
diverse parenting styles and cultural
setting from US, Australia, Canada,
Europe and India.
73%
Of 4-8 years old
15 parents of children 4-8 years old
were interviewed through a
Yes No questionnaire. Another set of 10
parents of this age group participated
Do you play as an adult?! Are you playful as an adult?! in an online survey. They represented
diverse parenting styles and cultural
While a similar number of educators / setting from US, Canada, Europe and
caregivers as parents perceived that India.
How we understand and define play they played as children and as adults.
determines how we perceive it in our lives. The latter was a revelation. I had Educators/Caregivers
It is noteworthy that 9% of respondents anticipated a higher percentage of
felt that they did not play as children and trained educators / caregivers to Of 0-4 year olds
more than a quarter of respondents perceive themselves to be playful as
adults, since they extensively and 10 educators / caregivers of children
perceive that that they do not play as
0-4 years old were interviewed
adults. intensively interact / engage with
through a questionnaire and online
younger children who are hard wired to
survey. They represented diverse
play. pedagogical / cultural setting from US,
Australia, Canada, Europe and India.
Play has a discernible Of 4-8 years olds
pattern to it which 12 educators / caregivers of children
4-8 years old were interviewed
becomes evident as you through a questionnaire and online
survey. They represented diverse
observe and listen to pedagogical / cultural setting from US,
Canada, Europe and India.
children at play. Play is how
children work. We refrain Practitioners
from disturbing/disrupting I have learnt immensely from my
conversations with my ever expanding
an adult at work; do we network of play therapists, play
workers, playground designers and
exercise that same restrain educators / moms of young children
who are playful themselves,
while children are at work/ unleashing the power of play in the
lives of those around them.
play?
Copyright 2011 Art of Learning. All rights reserved. Page 2

3. Playing is paying attention
S ix months a go, I started
compiling play stories of
children in different settings as
visual narrative. The objective is simple
using. A very satisfied Deepak went to
work in the familiar environs of where
his parents had placed their belongings,
then started the mesmerizing solitary
- t o m a ke e x p l i c i t / v i s i b l e t h e play that combined all the attributes
developmental processes involved in coveted by employers- creativity,
playing, to garner more respect for perseverance, attention to details,
unstructured play. Here I share one analysis, synthesis and problem-solving.
play story. The next twenty minutes or so I
witnessed Deepak perform the most
My work, like my life, is work in
amazing role play as a laborer p r o g r e s s . Yo u r c o m m e n t s /
It was two year old Deepak who
hammering away with enviable motor contributions will be valuable for the
conclusively and comprehensively evolution of my work.
skills, forming creative patterns on dirt
defined play for me through his
- with the pointed end of the brick,
playfulness. I was on a school campus I can be reached at
with the flat side of the brick, with a payal@artoflearning.in
and decided to take a detour to get to
stick that he had found on the ground.
where I wanted to go. I walked past an Read about my work:
The boy also demonstrated the most
area where some building repair work
versatile and dexterous use of this stone http://www.artoflearning.in/
was on. Serendipitously, I saw Deepak
as a race car, using his vocal cords to
tailing his father, a construction worker. Connect with me on Facebook:
imitate a roaring engine. If this is not
Deepak wanted to use his father’s
work, serious work, then, what is? https://www.facebook.com/Playiswork
implements but his father shouted at
him. A determined Deepak then http://www.facebook.com/
rummaged through the rubble for a I continue to collect valuable play Artoflearning
piece of broken brick that was shaped stories of young children and aspire to
similar to the implement his father was collect some play stories of adults.
Pl ay St ory
Copyright 2011 Art of Learning. All rights reserved. Page 3