Claudia Govea

ECE 252/SEC. 1001

Play Observation
October 1, 2017

Play Observation
1. Description
a. The observation I conducted was done at a daycare. It was an average
classroom where there is different kinds of centers for young children. The
children in the classroom range from ages 24-30 months The average
number of children I observed was 6 children with 2 adult caregiver. The
caregivers were in charge of 3 children. I observed the children from the
times of 10am-12pm. When I was observing the children were in play and
also during the lunch time.
2. Cognitive Play
a. List play materials and the appropriateness of these materials available to
children being observed
i. Balls
ii. Puzzels
iii. Dress up clothes
iv. Art supplies
v. Toy dishes, pans, cups, plastic food, pots, and play pretend kitchen
vi. Dolls
vii. Stuff Animals
viii. Trucks
ix. Plastic Animals
x. Blocks
xi. I
b. Describe at least 3 choices of play materials made by children.
i. Dolls
1. Two of the girls were playing with the dolls. They played as if
the doll was their child.
ii. Dress up clothes
1. One the girl was playing dress up clothes. The child was
dressing up as a nurse.
iii. Art Supplies
1. The 2 boys and 1 girl were fingerpainting on their canvas.
They were creating a picture for their mom.
c. Detail the amount of time each of the choices of toys was played with.
i. Dolls
 1. The two girls were playing with the dolls for about 40
minutes during their free play time and center time.
ii. Dress up clothes
1. The girl played 30 minutes playing nurse to the caregiver.
She then joined the two girls playing nurse to the dolls.
iii. Art Supplies
1. The children only finger painted until they finish their pictures
for their mom. The estimated amount of time was about an
hour.
d. What indications did you have that the children were engaged with the
toys?
i. The indications that showed me that the children were engaged in
their play activities were that they wouldn’t leave their center. When
the caregiver asked the children if they would like to rotate centers
they did not want to rotate centers.
e. What were the children learning from these choices?
i. When children are in play they are learning to explore their future.
The girl is learning that one day she would be a mother or learn to
care. Learn to be a caregiver. The children playing dress up are
learning that one day they are going to have a career. The children
painting are learning to express themselves through art. They are
creative their own pictures.
3. Social Play
a. Write an objective observation of a child engaged in solitary play.
i. The young girl playing dress up clothes standing next to the two is
conducting and example of solitary play.
b. Write an objective observation a children engaged in parallel play.
i. Parallel play is demonstrated when a young girl was playing nurse
and then got interested in playing dolls with the two others girls.
She became the nurse to the dolls.
c. Did the play materials help determine the level of social play? How?
i. Yes, the materials did help determine the level of social play
because the children were focused in their own activities.
d. How did adult interaction affect play? (Adult did not engage enough or
interrupted play?)
i. Adult interaction affected play because when their caregiver asked
it was time of rotation of centers the children were interrupting them
by asking them too many questions. They would not let the child
focu on their play.
4. Conclusion
a. What did you learn from this observation?
i. What I learn from this observation is that children learn to
experience and grow from play. When children play they learn to
make their own decision in what they want to do. They are playing
to experience in the future. Decision making is an important part in
play. Children are not told how to play they play with their own
decisions.
b. Give at least 2 recommendations for play activities/materials for the group
you observed (including actions of caregivers).
i. One recommendation i recommend the caregiver that was with the
children in the art center should not focus so much if the child made
a mess. Children when they play you be left free so they can
express themselves. For the caregiver with the girl playing dress up
instead of focusing on so much on her playing on her own should
have let her express herself.