play is our work · way through their own will activity. it is truly remarkable to see how the...
TRANSCRIPT
PlayisourWork
Watchingyoungchildrenbeingfullyimmersedinself-directedplayisapreciousgiftforadults.Playistheworkoftheyoungchild.Itisofvitalimportanceandhasahealth-givingquality.Whatdoestheyoungchildneedinordertoenterfreelyintochild-initiatedandchild-directedplay?Whatistheroleoftheadult?
Childrenneed,foremostofall,timeandspacetoplayawayfromthewatchfuleyeofparentsorteachers.Theywilldirecttheirplaythemselves,exploring,seekinghidingplaces,collectingtreasuresandthusimmersingthemselvesintotheirownworld.Theyoungchildobservespeople,objectsandoccurrencesinthesurroundings.Withitsinnatefacultytoimitateplayisinitiatedandcarriedoutbasedontheseobservations.Playisaformofwrestlingwiththematerialworld,exploringitspropertiesandlearningthroughexperienceabouttheeffectsone’sownactioncanhave.
Theroleoftheadultinthisprocessistoprovideappropriatetimeandspaceinwhichthisplaycanunfoldinanundisturbedmanner.Open-endedplaymaterialslikepiecesoffurniture,pillows,sheetsandblanketsforindoorplayaswellasnaturalmaterialsfromtheoutdoorsareessential.Inanimaginativeapproachtothesematerialstheyoungchildtransformsthemwitheaseandgreatflexibilityasplayunfoldsandchanges.
Thechild’splaycanbeguidedbytheadultindifferentways.Asthechildfollowstheimpulsesfromwithinitsbeing,theparentcanfollowthechild’sleadbyunderstandingwhatthechildisinterestedin.Thiswillallowtheadulttoinventivelyintuitwhatandhowplaymaterialsshouldbeofferedforfreeuse.Itisalsoimportantfortheparenttopracticenottointerveneinthechildren’splay
unlessthereisariskordangerforthechildren.Bybeingactivelyengagedindomesticorartistictasksrightnexttotheplayingchild,adultsbecomerolemodelsfordevotionandskillintheirwork.Andfinally,adultsneedtolearntotrustthatthechildrenwilltakeinthenourishingandsupportivequalityoftheenvironmentcreatedbycaringadultsandwilltransformtheseinameaningfulwaythroughtheirownwillactivity.
Itistrulyremarkabletoseehowthechild’ssoulandspiritareactiveinfreeplay.Theelementofthoughthasnotyetbeenabsorbed.Anditisakindofplaywhichcomesintobeingwithoutanynotionofuseorpracticality;itisthekindofplayinwhichthechildonlyfollowswhatcomesfromwithin.…Thewaythechildlivesintoplayoriginatesinthefreedomofthechild’ssoul,butonlyseeminglyso.Forwhenoneobservesmoreexactly,onewillseehowchildrenincorporateeverythingtheyexperienceintheworldtheylivein.…Whenonehassharpenedone’spowersofobservationinthisrespect,onewillnolongerlookuponplayofthiskindassomethinginteresting,somethingwhichjusthappensinacertainphaseofthechild’slife.Onewillputplayinperspectiveandviewitscharacterinthecontextofatotalbiography.(RudolfSteiner,GA335)
ByAnkeScheinfeld,RudolfSteinerSchoolKindergarten