Support children and young people’s play
Overview
Who is this unit for?
This unit is for those who support or supervise children or young people's play
and recreational activities. It is suitable for those working in any kind of school setting including secondary schools.
What is this unit about?
This unit is about providing opportunities for children and young people to experience a variety of play environments that stimulate them and provide opportunities for risk, challenge and personal growth.
This unit contains four elements:
1. Create a range of environments for children and young people's play
2. Offer a range of play opportunities to children and young people
3. Support children and young people's rights and choices in play
4. End play sessions
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Create a range of environments for children and young people’s play
P1 ask children and young people what they want in their play environments
P2 use feedback about play environments that children and young people have given previously
P3 identify children and young people's play needs
P4 create play environments that meet the children and young people's needs in the setting
P5 make sure play environments provide challenge, stimulation and the potential for the children and young people's personal growth
P6 make sure there is sufficient flexibility, variety and choice of resources
P7 wherever possible, involve the children and young people in creating the play environments
P8 make sure that the play environments meet the requirements of your organisation and relevant laws
Offer a range of play opportunities to children and young people
P9 discuss and agree ground rules for play opportunities with the children and young people, making sure any changes are in line with your organisation's policies and procedures
P10 encourage and support the children and young people to explore and choose play opportunities for themselves
P11 offer new ideas and resources for children and young people's play
P12 encourage the children and young people to adapt the ideas and resources to meet their own needs
Support children and young people’s rights and choices in play
P13 make sure that all the children and young people can play in a selfdirected way whilst respecting the rights of others
P14 encourage the children and young people to extend themselves through play without undermining their confidence and self-esteem
P15 encourage children and young people to explore and direct play environments for themselves
P16 provide support to children and young people in a way that does not undermine their personal control and involvement P17 respond to children and young people's play cues
P18 take part in play when this is what children and young people want
End play sessions
P19 end the play session in a way that is appropriate to the children and young people, their level of involvement and the requirements of your play setting
P20 enable children to give feedback on the play opportunities and environments and note this feedback for future sessions
P21 follow your organisation's procedures for ensuring the safety of the children and young people on departure
P22 follow your organisation's procedures for tidying up the play environment and dealing with resources
P23 complete all required records
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 the assumptions and values of playwork relevant to this unit
K2 the importance of play to children and young people's development
K3 why children and young people's play should be self-directed
K4 why play opportunities should focus on children and young people's needs
K5 why it is important to ask children and young people about what they want in their play environments
K6 how to identify children and young people's play needs
K7 the types of play environment that stimulate children and young people's play and the role that you can play in helping to provide that environment
K8 the importance of risk and challenge in children and young people's play and how to balance these against requirements for health and safety
K9 why children and young people need variety and choice in the play setting
K10 the importance of planning play opportunities that are flexible and easily adapted by the children and young people to their own needs
K11 why children and young people should be involved in creating play environments and how to gain their involvement
K12 the requirements of your organisation that are relevant to creating play environments
K13 the basic requirements of relevant laws that you need to follow when creating play environments
K14 why it is important to offer play opportunities whilst respecting the children and young people's right to explore and adapt the opportunity to their own needs
K15 why it is important to involve children and young people in discussing and agreeing ground rules
K16 why it is important to encourage children and young people to explore, choose and adapt play opportunities for themselves
K17 how to balance the rights of the child or young person to play in a selfdirected way against the rights of others
K18 the types of support that children and young people might need to adapt a play opportunity and how to provide this support without taking control
K19 why children and young people should extend themselves through play and how to encourage this
K20 the dangers of pushing children and young people too far and undermining their confidence and self-esteem and the signs that this may be happening
K21 the types of support that children and young people may need during play
K22 how to identify when children and young people need support during a play opportunity
K23 why it is important to provide support without undermining the children and young people's personal control of their play
K24 children and young people's play cues and why it is important to respond to these sensitively
K25 situations in which your own involvement in play could increase the children and young people's involvement and stimulation and situations where it could have the opposite effect
K26 how to bring a play session to an end in a way that respects the children and young people's needs and involvement but meets the requirements of your play setting
K27 your organisation's procedures for tidying up the play setting and dealing with their sources
K28 your organisation's procedures for children and young people's departure K29 your organisation's record keeping procedures
Scope/range
Create a range of environments for children and young people’s play
Children and young people
1.1. with additional needs
1.2. from differing social backgrounds
1.3. from differing cultural backgrounds
1.4. boys
1.5. girls
Age groups
2.1. 4–7 years
2.2. 8–12 years
2.3. 13–16 years
Play environment for
3.1. physical play
3.2. environmental play
3.3. creative play
3.4. cultural play
3.5. imaginative play
Setting
4.1. indoor
4.2. outdoor
Resources
5.1. equipment
5.2. materials
Offer a range of play opportunities to children and young people
6. Play opportunities
6.1. physical
6.2. environmental
6.3. creative
6.4. cultural
6.5. imaginative
- Children and young people
7.1. with additional needs
7.2. from differing social backgrounds
7.3. from differing cultural backgrounds
7.4. boys
7.5. girls - Age groups
8.1. 4–7 years
8.2. 8–12 years
8.3. 13–16 years
Support children and young people’s rights and choices in play Children and young people
8.1. with additional needs
8.2. from differing social backgrounds
8.3. from differing cultural backgrounds
8.4. boys
8.5. girlsAge groups
9.1. 4–7 years
9.2. 8–12 years
9.3. 13–16 yearsPlay environments
10.1. physical play
10.2. environmental play
10.3. creative play
10.4. cultural play
10.5. imaginative play
Support children and young people’s play- Children and young people
11.1. with additional needs
11.2. from differing social backgrounds
11.3. from differing cultural backgrounds
11.4. boys
11.5. girls
Age groups
11.6. 4–7 years
11.7. 8–12 years
11.8. 13–16 years
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Additional needs
disabilities, physical, educational, emotional or behavioural needs
Creative play
play that is inventive and/or productive, e.g. writing, construction, artwork, music
Cultural play
play that celebrates and/or raises awareness of different cultures and their values and practices
Environmental play
play which involves and/or raises awareness of natural elements and/or wildlife and their survival
Ground rules
agreed rules for a play opportunity; this will usually cover issues such as behaviour, health and safety, cooperation, respect or other issues requested by the children and young people
Imaginative play
play that involves ‘pretend' roles or acting out fantasy situations
Play cues
facial expressions, language or body language that communicate the child or young person's wish to play or invite others to play
Play environment
environments with resources that stimulate the child or young person to play
Play opportunity
any type of resource or activity that provides the children or young people with opportunities to play
Play setting
anywhere where children or young people play, for example, an indoor play centre or adventure playground
Physical play
play that is physically active, e.g. football or rounders, tag
Relevant laws
laws that are relevant to the setting such as the Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations, the Children Act Requirements of your organisation
the procedures and policies of your setting as they apply to children and young people's rights, health and safety
Resources
equipment and materials that will stimulate play: natural materials (such as earth, water, sand, clay or wood); construction materials (such as blocks); computer and IT equipment; communication resources (resources to support speaking, listening, reading and writing); `loose parts' (items that can be moved from place to place, carried, rolled, lifted, piled one on top of the other or combined to create new structures or experiences); real tools (such as carpentry or cooking equipment); bikes, trolleys, swings, climbing structures and ropes; paints, drawing equipment, modelling and fabrics; music, colours, scientific and mathematical equipment (such as clocks and calendars); dressing up materials, mirrors, cameras, videos to enable children to explore their own identity; items or experiences (such as poetry and literature) that allow for reflection about abstract concepts
Links To Other NOS
TDASTL10 Support children's play and learning
TDASTL54 Plan for and support self-directed play
Origin of this unit
This unit is taken from the National Occupational Standards in Playwork, where it appears as PW2.