Active Play Flashcards
Play:
expressive activity motivated primarily by personal enjoyment
Play is a _____ part of childhood.
natural
Free play is:
- freely chosen
- self-directed
- done for its own sake (means are valued more than the ends)
Adult directed play (does/does not) count as play.
does not
Play is the most important ____ of being a child.
work
Play can be ____ or _____
social or solitary
Children perceive 4 types of play:
- movement focused activities
- creative/imaginative activities
- games and entertainment
- social-relational activities
Examples of movement focused activities:
- unorganized sports
- rough and tumble
- play fighting
- chasing each other
- outdoor adventure
- playing on playground
Examples of creative/imaginative activities:
- building legos
- arts and crafts
- make believe activities (mirrors adults)
Examples of games and entertainment activities:
- board games
- video games
- amusement parks
- listening to music
Examples of social-relational activities:
socializing with friends, family
___ is not considered play but can lead to play.
TV
Children see almost anything as an…
opportunity for play
Children will play…
- almost anywhere
- not limited to adult-designated play areas
Children will play with…
almost anyone
Activities not classified as play are those that are…
- boring
- too serious
- too passive
- too frustrating
- too obligating
5 basic competencies children can gain through play:
- physicality
- sociality
- sensitivity
- inventiveness
- ambition
Physicality:
- motor skills
- fitness
- movement awareness
Sociality:
- social
- relational
- interpersonal skills (eg. cooperation)
- emotional control
Sensitivity:
- emotional receptivity
- empathy
- kindness
- tenderness towards other living organisms/plants
Inventiveness:
- creativity
- innovation
Ambition:
- drive
- ability to utilize other 4 competencies to help overcome difficulties
Active play:
a form of gross motor or total body movement in which young children exert energy in a freely chosen, fun, and unstructured manner
Examples of active play:
- swimming
- hide and seek
- tag
- grounder
- active role play (fantasy)
Children prefer to play _____.
outside
Natural play spaces and elements offer ____ and ____ challenges.
- physical
- cognitive
_____ doesn’t matter for most kids.
weather
Why are kids more active outdoors?
- more space
- greater variety of activities
Every additional hour spent outdoors was associated with ____ more minutes of daily MVPA, ____ more daily steps, and ____ fewer minutes of daily sedentary time.
- 7
- 762
- 13
Children are more physically active when _____ compared to ____.
- with a friend
- alone
Those who spend more time outdoors with friends engage in more _____.
MVPA
What did the study for the parent involvement in play show?
- sedentary options and play options
- most physically active when parents participating
- least physically active when alone
Who is associated with ecological systems theory?
Urie Bronfenbrenner
The ecological systems theory has ______ influences.
bi-directional
Interactions between microsystem in ecological systems theory:
mesosystem
Give an example of mesosystem in ecological systems theory.
continued participation can be because of parent encouragement and support and a good coach
Exosystem examples in ecological systems theory:
- whether the parents have flexible schedules
- whether the parents have strong social networks
Macrosystem examples in ecological systems theory:
- child fitness tax credit (subsidize sport participation fees)
- a common vision
- Active Alberta
5 determinants of children’s independent active free play:
- child characteristics
- parental restrictions
- neighbourhood and physical environment
- societal changes
- policy issues
Child characteristics:
- age (as you increase age, you’re more likely to be permitted)
- competence (parental perception)
- gender (usually boys more than girls)
Parental restrictions:
- safety concerns
- surveillance (carry a cell phone)
Neighbourhood and physical environment:
- fewer children to play with
- accessibility and proximity of play areas
- maintenance
- differences in preferences for play spaces between parent and child
- need for age appropriate play spaces
Societal changes:
- reduced sense of community
- good parenting ideal
- changing roles of parents
- privatization of playtime and play spaces
Policy issues:
need to give children a voice
Most ____ levels to the child will have a greater influence.
proximal
Interaction of levels:
- protective parents might be transferred to child in that child is less likely to do risky play
- if the neighbourhood is unsafe, it restricts the amount of space that the parent allows the child to play
Correlates of reduced play in children (since 1950s):
- increased anxiety and depression
- increased suicide rates
- increased narcissism
- decreased empathy
- decreased creative thinking
- decreased internal locus of control and increased external locus of control
Why is active free play declining?
- increased focus on schooling
- longer school days, shorter recess
- increased academic homework
- time of freedom –> resume building
- decreased sense of community
- increased irrational fears among parents
- increased adult supervised organized sport
The essence of free play is reflected in _____ and _____ activity by the child.
- self-controlled
- self-directed
Protection paradox:
We are so focused on trying to make sure our kids are healthy, safe and happy, that we are having the opposite effect
We overprotect kids to keep them safe, but by doing so we set them up to be less _____ and more likely to…
- resilient
- develop chronic diseases long term
Majority of crimes against children and youth in Canada are committed by…
people the child knows
Odds of a child luring kidnap by stranger is…
1 in 14 million
Canadian children are 8 times more likely to die as a passenger in a vehicle than …
being struck by a vehicle when on foot or bike
Holt et al. examined factors that influence children’s active free play. What did he find?
- parent restrictions
- safety concerns
- changing social circumstances
- erosion in sense of community
- feeling of safety in numbers
Intergenerational differences in free active play:
- more technology
- less imagination
- few friends to play with
- parents too busy working
Children’s active play is influenced by these factors:
- child
- parent
- neighbourhood
- societal
- policy
