1. Why Play is the way to go to help your children learn and grow
Presented By: Jen Matl
Learning and Behavioral Specialist and Developmental Therapist

2. Why PLAY?
Research done on animals has shown us that play improves memory
Essential for survival and learning in nearly every species
Stimulates the growth of the cerebral cortex found in the frontal lobe
Play and exploration trigger secretion of BDNF, a substance essential for the growth of brain cells
Children pay more attention to academic tasks when they are given frequent, brief opportunities for free play (note this is not through physical education classes)
An interesting connection between the rise in ADD and ADHD in children due to inactivity and increased exposure to media

3. What is PLAY?
Play is pleasurable. Children must enjoy the activity or it is not play.
Play is intrinsically motivated. Children engage in play simply for the satisfaction the behavior itself brings.
Play is process oriented. When children play, the means are more important than the ends.
Play is freely chosen. It is spontaneous and voluntary. If a child is pressured, he/she will likely not think of the activity as play.
Play is actively engaged. Players must be physically and or/mentally involved in the activity.
Play is non-literal. It involves make-believe.

4. Two Types of Play
Free Play: kids being kids without adult direction-Interesting note: Countries that have more recess tend to have higher academic performance than countries where recess is less
Guided Play: Also known as playful learning.

5. Sub-Categories of Play
Social Play: play that occurs in the interaction of children with adults or other children. Happens in nearly every sub- category of play.*Play with parents assists with a child’s ability to successfully play with peers.
Solitary Play years, child plays alone
Parallel play years, children may be engaged in similar activities but they play separately
Associative play years, children are playing separately but may share, pay attention to others, and or/communicate with others about their play
Cooperative play 4.5 years, children are engaged in play with a common goal and they work cooperatively to achieve the goal

6. Sub-Categories of play continued
Object Play: Active, playful manipulation of objects. This begins as soon as children can pick items up, they explore the object and manipulate them.
Examples: throwing a ball
Building with blocks

7. Sub-Categories of play continued
Pretend Play: This involves creating alternate realities to the real world. Children can enact different people, places or times, and objects become symbols for what is imagined. (Fein 1981; Lillard, 2011)
Examples: symbolic play (a substitute object representing a real one, a child pretending a banana is a phone)
Socio-dramatic play: pretend play with a group in which children cooperate and take on complementary characters
First emerges around 12 months

8. Sub-Categories of play continued
Physical play: also known as locomotor play or exercise play, involves physical activity in a playful context such as kicking, running, jumping, chasing, and climbing (Pellegrini, 2009)This involves creating alternate realities to the real world. Children can enact different people, places or times, and objects become symbols for what is imagined. (Fein 1981; Lillard, 2011)
Media Play: Mixed reviews on this

9. An Easy way to play with your wee ones
How To Create monthly themes for play and Why They Work
Presented and Created By:
Jen Matl
2017 copyright

10. What are monthly themes for the home:
Monthly themed bins in which you the parent purposefully select various toys, games, and activities targeting growth and development. All selected items pertain to the theme of the month.
Example of themes dinosaurs, transportation, Halloween etc.
Ziploc baggies are your friend 

11. Why Themes: Keeps the child engaged
Keeps you the parents engaged and purposeful
More purposeful and meaningful interactions with the toys, keeps things fresh and exciting-novelty
Studies have shown that presenting something 7 times, 7 different ways helps newly acquired skills/knowledge to take up permeant residency in our brains. Therefor, using themes over a month long period helps to create meaningful and substantial learning opportunities.

12. A Fun and engaging approach to play targeting:
Social/Personal development
Adaptive development
Expressive and Receptive skills
Fine and Gross motor skills
Cognition

13. A Scaffolding Approach To Learning Of Which We Build on Each Skill One Step At A Time
Step 1 explore
Step 2 adult model
hand over hand
Step 3
Step 4 teach within play
Step 5 reciprocal meaningful play

14. How To Create Themed Bins
Select your theme
Know and understand the five main domains of growth and development for birth-5
Select activities and know your purpose behind them

15. Where to get your theme items
Your local Dollar Tree
Target Dollar Bin
Teacher Store
Home Goods, Marshals, T.J. Maxx
Once Upon A Child
Garage Sales
Facebook Sales
Your pantry

16. Must Haves
You will find a strong element of repetition from month to month when creating your monthly themes
Book: new each month
Song(s): new each month
Movement: Research has shown that movement aides in cognitive growth, especially for the youngest of learners
Fine Motor-writing and scissor skills if appropriate

17. Lets Dive Into My Bin for this month
How can we incorporate the five main areas of growth and development into our play, and what types of play is there opportunity for with this bin? Questions??

18. Thank you for joining me, follow me on Facebook @JenMatlDTThatsMe,pinterest, and youtube
Contact Me:
Phone:
Now Booking for 2017