It may appear like just child’s play, but toddlers are hard at work learning important physical skills as they gain muscle control, balance, and coordination. This is what I learned the day I observed my 36-month-old niece when on a play date with two other toddlers. Through observation I was able to gain a good understanding of why play is so critical at this stage in their growth and development, and I believe that there is no better way to learn about these themes than by observing play in action. This paper will discuss my observations and how it compares or contrasts to what is expected in the development of toddlers.
Comparisons
Play amplifies toddlers’ physical and psychosocial development. Psychosocially, it was apparent that they …show more content…
According to expected behaviors, play is common in the form of parallel play where toddlers play alongside, not with, other children (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2012). My niece did not portray this type of play. Instead, she portrayed more developed behaviors of play. She effectively utilized verbal and nonverbal forms of communication to play with them. She displayed patterns of play that more closely resembled associative play, which is group play in similar or identical activities but without rigid organization or rules commonly seen in the preschooler (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2012). That day, she brought with her a toy medical set she had received for Christmas, and with this set she began her own little hospital. Through nonverbal communication, she gathered the girls onto the sofa. Through verbal communication, she asked the girls if they needed a doctor and if they were sick. She brought out her toy stethoscope and began to listen to the girls’ chest. She went on to use a toy syringe to save the life of one of the girls. I believe she was modeling this behavior after playing with her father who is a doctor. After this, the other girls joined in and began using the toy set to perform pretend wellness exams on each other. In this same example my niece also depicted imitative, imaginative, and dramatic play (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2012). During the play
Comparisons
Play amplifies toddlers’ physical and psychosocial development. Psychosocially, it was apparent that they …show more content…
According to expected behaviors, play is common in the form of parallel play where toddlers play alongside, not with, other children (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2012). My niece did not portray this type of play. Instead, she portrayed more developed behaviors of play. She effectively utilized verbal and nonverbal forms of communication to play with them. She displayed patterns of play that more closely resembled associative play, which is group play in similar or identical activities but without rigid organization or rules commonly seen in the preschooler (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2012). That day, she brought with her a toy medical set she had received for Christmas, and with this set she began her own little hospital. Through nonverbal communication, she gathered the girls onto the sofa. Through verbal communication, she asked the girls if they needed a doctor and if they were sick. She brought out her toy stethoscope and began to listen to the girls’ chest. She went on to use a toy syringe to save the life of one of the girls. I believe she was modeling this behavior after playing with her father who is a doctor. After this, the other girls joined in and began using the toy set to perform pretend wellness exams on each other. In this same example my niece also depicted imitative, imaginative, and dramatic play (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2012). During the play