Whether you call it role play, dramatic play or imaginative play that act of using your entire body to bring a role or idea to life empowers children to learn their own strengths and skills through play. Play and playfulness as stated in the Alberta Child Care Framework allows children to express and experience open and flexible environments where playful exploration, problem solving, and creativity are encouraged and purposefully planned. Play isn’t just play anymore, we know understand the sub context of play: play is used by children to problem solve, to express feelings and to understand how something works by acting it out using their bodies.  Play is full of creativity, imagination, exploration, problem solving and dizzy play. Jasper room is always buzzing with all types of play and we educators do our best to keep up and support it all.

Jasper room is busy bringing our outside observations to life using our bodies and words. Wither it’s in the house corner cooking meals or moving around the room as a family pet in a large group. We noticed an interest of acting as family pets because a new pet was added to one of our families. Our dramatic play is not just limited to pet animals; we are also creating a rocket ship blast off area and landing in a pile of pillows. Jasper room is full of dramatic play all day long.

Children’s play is a window for educators to observe the children’s interests and passions.  By noticing and observing their play, we are able to bring in certain items and books to support their interest.  This creates the educators as co-imager of possibilities; educators create a responsive environment to support where ever play takes the room and be flexible to change the environment as the play changes.  Play is always changing and all we can do it keep up and be ready for lots of laughs because watching children play is always a good time.

Have a great weekend! See you on Monday!