Playtime and play activities play multiple roles in early childhood education. Theories of play help early childhood educators develop play-oriented lessons and age-appropriate learning activities. Unstructured playtime can also be incorporated into the classroom, especially in light of classical theories of play that emphasize catharsis and the need for energy expenditure. Play fosters the children's social learning and cognitive development, and Piaget's theories will also inform the way I construct lesson plans and manage the classroom. Theories of play also address the physical aspects of play, which allow young children to practice motor skills development. As an early childhood educator I will include many methods of play including those that stress physical, social, and problem-solving skills.
Synthesizing various theories of play will help guide my lesson plans. Psychoanalytic theories will play a relatively minor role in how I approach playtime, but I will still understand the individualistic need for children to use play as a means of developing self-mastery and ego. Much of the unstructured playtime I incorporate into the classroom will be based on the infantile dynamics theories, which center on the realistic notion that children play because that is their primary means of interacting with the world. Their cognitive and physical functioning naturally precludes children towards play. However, Piaget's theories of social and cognitive development will help me to create formal play-oriented lessons. Object manipulation, physical games, songs, and imaginary role-playing games will all be methods I use in the classroom.
Finally, theories of play form the foundation of my teaching philosophy as an early childhood educator. Lessons may vary but the underlying purpose of the playtime remains the same: to encourage age-appropriate physical, social, and cognitive growth. Play is one of the languages young children speak. Their verbal and analytical skills will be exercised in later grades but during their first few years of school play will be the main way children interact with each other, with their environment, and with their teachers.
