Play Activities

Children do not make the distinction that adults do between play and work. What we call work may be play for them and it is part of fun, learning, kindergarten readiness, and life skills. Sometimes, kids even see these activities as so important that they are insistent they get a turn.

Much of children’s play is based on what they see others around them already doing. To a child swooshing the vacuum around while bending, stretching and hunting for hidden treasures can look like great fun. It’s obviously an important activity because adults seem to do if often. Maybe not as much as is needed, but it certainly is repeated. Plus the vacuum makes a noise and warm air squirts out in just one spot. Only later do kids understand vacuuming isn’t play but in the meantime, we can support their wanting to participate. The vacuum may not be appropriate and can be scary for young children, but the mop or broom or brush are also fun. Just like pirates, kids can swab the deck.

Not only are even quite young children capable of helping, it is important that they do. Kids need to learn that picking up toys is part of playing with them. Giving children some chores to do helps them learn to be responsible. Being responsible doesn’t come automatically with birthdays, it’s a skill that develops from practicing. Children also feel like they are part of the group when we give then jobs to do and completing something gives them a sense of accomplishment. We all like to feel like mates.

Besides swabbing the deck, are there some work-play activities that your pirates can do at home or at a play center?

Recently, there have been gazillions of blog posts and Pinterest activities on sensory play, and that’s because the brain uses the senses for learning and interacting. Sensory play is more than play and helps develop more than kindergarten readiness. Sensory tubs or bins can be used for all the senses, but this pirate sensory bin is for touching and seeing, with some hearing too.

Where do pirates like to shop? At the dollarrrr stores. A quick trip there and to the craft store was all that was needed to round up some treasures like buttons, pompoms, small rocks, plastic coins, and sparkles. A few hunts through the recycling bin and the drawers at home turned up some more. The bin was quite small but the play was big! Here are a few of the ways that this pirate had fun in the sensory tub:

• sorting colors. For a few of the colors, it was fun to find as many different things as possible. This is the skill of sorting and categorizing.
• scooping and pouring. This pirate filled the cups and other containers and poured them out over and over. It made a neat sound but like all pirates, the fun is in the filling the containers with treasure.
• finding treasures for the treasure chest. Discovering the little tiny plastic pirates buried in with all the rest was exciting. Of course, where there’s one there must be more and sure enough, there were a few pirates.
• pretending with the pirates. The toy pirates went on adventures and found treasures. They fell into the water and had to be rescued.
• touching. This bin had a variety of different textures and sizes, all fun to feel and explore with fingers.
• talking. Even though this was very much an independent activity, some of the discoveries and fun had to be shared and explained.

These were just a few of the ways that the sensory tub was fun and learning for this pirate, all as she played. The materials can be changed or kept for playing again another time. Children will play with sensory tubs in unique ways, as they discover and explore what is important to them at that time. Would your pirate like to play with a pirate sensory tub?