Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Structured Play

Defining the Concept and Its Importance

This image shows two children engaging in structured play by working together to solve a puzzle.

Structured play is defined as a planned movement time designed to incorporate opportunities to practice basic motor skills and make use of large muscle groups. Examples of structured play can include activities such as board games, puzzles, sorting games, organized sports or games that involve following a set of directions. According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, pre-schoolers are recommended to accumulate one hour minimum of structured physical activity every day. Children learn self-regulation, improve motor skills, and are less likely to suffer from mental health problems later on in life, when they engage in structured play. Several authors have specifically reported that a structured physical education program (i.e., qualified instructors, sound instructional plan) for children with or without developmental delays, could promote motor skill development and learning. A study conducted by Palmer, Matsuyama and Robinson (2016) compared structured and unstructured play on a playground in pre-school aged children. The results of the study found that children in the structured movement program engaged in less sedentary behaviours and more moderate to vigorous physical activity; thus overall, the children in the structured movement program engaged in fifteen and a half more minutes of healthier physical activity than the children in the outdoor free play. Findings of the study support that early childhood education centers should provide children with daily structured movement time which involves formalized instruction in conjunction with regularly scheduled outdoor free play.

A child waits her turn as her friend goes through the monkey bar set. They are partaking in a structured play where the child has to complete the monkey bar obstacle set out for them.

Structured play can enable strong connections between caregivers and children as well. When caregivers or early childhood educators are involved in play time it enhances the opportunity for the adult to observe and understand a child’s behaviour and critical thinking skills. The importance of structured play in early childhood movement experiences are made clear as the child develops their motor skills further by progressing through tasks set out for them, children are able to problem solve and form connections with peers.

Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations

It is valuable to understand the true impact that structured play has on a child’s development as these outcome effects last beyond their young years. Studies have shown that when play is structured it helps children learn to follow rules, plan their next move, wait their turn, and manage frustrations when things do not go their way. The results of structured play on a child’s self-regulation is crucial as they grow and develop; maturing impulse control in children forms a strong foundation for which children are able to then interact with adults and their surroundings. Structured play with peers most often involves cooperation, control and problem solving about what is allowed within the realm of the task or playtime. Congruently, when children work with others on an organized task, this cultivates opportunities for peer engagement through play, as well as the ability to negotiate and put those self-regulation and problem-solving skills to use. Executive functioning skills and developing a sense of agency through this type of play are foundational for school readiness, as this affords children with an opportunity for more meaningful and productive movement experiences.

A study conducted by the Department of Pediatrics at St. Stephen’s Hospital in India, measured children’s mean motor, mental and social quotient using Bailey’s Scale of Infant Development and Vineland’s Social Maturity Scale. The researchers of the study measured these quotients before and after a three-month structured play regime and found that the children’s mean motor, social and mental quotients rose dramatically after the three-month period. Additionally, it can be said that children’s responsiveness and activity levels improve with structured play time.

Two girls are photographed playing together during what can be defined as structured playtime. The girls are using team work to complete their objective of building a sandcastle.

Preschool age could be deemed as a critical period in a child’s life because physical activity and sedentary behaviour seems to be established at this age. Incorporating structured play into a child’s every day activities is beneficial as it can promote increased physical activity levels and the likelihood that the child will be physically active. This escalation of physical activity allows children to improve movement patterns by possibly encountering rate limiters that are inhibiting the proper movement pattern from emerging. In children with developmental delays, physical education within a structured play environment can serve as the vehicle to help develop fundamental motor skills they are lacking, interact with their peers and learn about themselves and their environment. This further emphasizes findings of the study discussed previously, stating that children’s cognitive and motor domains are positively influenced when structured play is scheduled routinely into children’s days. It is valuable to highlight that structured play is important in school aged children because of the fact that it has the ability to bridge the gap between the children who may have less social skills (are more introverted) and the ones who are more outgoing (more extroverted).

An extensive contemporary issue involved with structured play is that over-scheduling of structured play can lead to burn out and decrease the focus and attention span of the child, a result of a reduced ability of the child to store new information. It is important for early childhood educators to schedule structured play but allow for exploratory or free play to be had. Parents and educators should continue to judge and monitor appropriate levels of adult-driven activities to reduce the chance of burn out and information overload; a balance of free play and structured play is crucial to the child’s cognitive development. Negative implications of overloaded structured play should not take away from its positive value in child development and should continue to be encouraged by early childhood educators, caregivers, and parents alike.

Practical Applications

"Simon Says"

"Simon Says" is a classic and enjoyable structured game that may be incorporated in any childhood learning setting. The purpose of "Simon Says" is to facilitate the development of children in numerous ways. The game allows for the development of motor and cognitive skills through performance of movements and listening to commands. Cooperation, control, and listening skills are also incorporated in the game and contribute to the overall learning experience children may obtain through participation. The structured game allows for social development amongst children, and facilitates connections between children and their teachers (or coaches, educators, etc.). The game gives teachers the opportunity to engage directly with children’s development by observing and facilitating learning experiences. The target age range for "Simon Says" would typically be around 4 years old – 10 years old. There are no necessary apparatus or equipment needed to perform the game. The environmental space can vary but would typically be a classroom with enough space for the children to move around appropriately (taking into account exaggerated movements children may use out of excitement or enthusiasm), outdoors on a grass field (avoid concrete incase the movements include sitting/kneeling), and/or an open gymnasium.

Instructions:

"Simon Says" requires a “Simon” (i.e. a facilitator) to be picked and subsequently deliver specific movement commands that the rest of the participants must obey. The players must obey “Simon” if the command begins with the phrase “Simon Says…”. If Simon does not begin the command with “Simon Says…” and a participant still performs the movement or command, that participant is “out”.

• Assign a “Simon”. The most appropriate choice for a “Simon” is an early childhood educator, teacher, coach, or physical activity leader. This way, the adult is capable of directly facilitating the specific motor movements and cognitive decision-making (i.e. when to say “Simon Says) the children must follow, as well as ensuring fair and smooth play.

• Have all children space out with enough room to perform large movements (again allow for enough space to account for exaggerated movements), but close enough for them to hear “Simon” clearly.

• Once the children are spaced out, “Simon” may begin the commands.

Ex. If “Simon” says, “Simon says jump as high as you can”, the players must jump as high as they can. However, if “Simon” says, “run on the spot” without initially saying, “Simon says”, the players may not run on the spot. The players that do are “out

• The objective of the game is to follow the directions long enough until you are the last player left, and thus the winner.

Children participating in the structured game "Simon Says"

Modifications:

The modifications that can be applied to “Simon Says” are subjective to the group of children that are participating. For children that are developmentally delayed (motor and cognitive), “Simon” should account for specific movements that may be too difficult to perform (ex. pushup, one-legged jump, etc.) and the sequence of commands that is said (ex. trying to trick the kids by speaking fast). Conversely, for a group of children that are more developed, “Simon” may incorporate these challenging movements and make the commands more difficult (ex. trying to trick the children by saying the commands faster). To incorporate inclusion and fairness, this specific modification may not be used if only some of the children are more developed than others. The group as a whole must be capable of performing/keeping up with the commands or else some children may feel left out or discouraged.

Another modification that may be incorporated is allowing the children to be “Simon”. Providing children the opportunity to rotate being “Simon” and commanding in front of the other children will allow opportunities for developing clear communication, critical thinking (ex. ways to eliminate the players), social skills, and confidence.

Lastly, it is important to consider the reception of the game from the children. Forcing children to participate in a game they don’t want to and/or playing the game for a long period of time may lead to the children burning out. Thus is it important to note how the children look, feel, and participate during the game. Allowing for a good balance of structured and unstructured play is important for a child’s development.

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"HORSE"

"HORSE" is a common structured sports game that involves the skill of scoring in the game of basketball. The purpose of "HORSE" in early childhood development is to promote enjoyable physical activity, develop motor skill acquisition and sports related skills, and promote social interaction in movement activities. Participation in structured sport-related activities is an important aspect of early childhood movement experiences and may further facilitate prolonged participation in physical activity in the future. The positive benefits of a early access and play in structured sport at a young age is crucial for cognitive and motor (gross and fine) development. The game of "HORSE" also allows for children to engage in social development by competing against one another and interacting through an enjoyable activity. The target age range for the popular game of "HORSE" is typically with children within the ages of 5 years old – 12+ years old. The equipment necessary to play "HORSE" is a basketball hoop (preferably one that is adjustable in height) and basketballs (and/or any bouncy ball). The environmental space needed is either a gymnasium with basketball hoops or an open, flat-surfaced outdoor area with a basketball hoop.

Instructions:

"HORSE" is a basketball skills game that involves shooting and scoring in basketball. Missing a shot will result in gaining a letter from the word “HORSE”. Players are eliminated once they have missed five shots and obtained all five letters of the word HORSE.

• All participants must line up in a single-file line in front of the basketball hoop from the free-throw line with their basketball (or bouncy ball).

• One by one, each player will attempt to score by shooting the ball in the basket from the free throw line. If the player misses, they are given a letter from the word HORSE.

Ex. (first missed shot = H, second missed shot = O, etc.)

• Once a player has shot, they go to the end of the line and wait their turn to shoot again.

• A player that misses five shots and obtains all the letters of the word HORSE is eliminated.

• The last player to remain in the game is declared the winner.

A "free-throw" shot typically used in the game of "HORSE"

Modifications:

There are a variety of modifications that can be made for the game of "HORSE" depending on the development, growth, and age of the children participating. First the height of the basketball hoop may be adjusted to fit the strength and size of the children participating. For children that are younger and generally shorter around the ages of 5 to 7 years old, lowering the hoop to about 7-9 feet will accomodate for the lack of upper-body strength and height. The size and weight of the basketball is also a factor that may be modified. Younger children may not be able to appropriately shoot a full-sized basketball vertically with their smaller hands, thus using a smaller basketball or alternatively a bouncy ball, as opposed to a full-sized leather ball may be more appropriate for performance. These accommodations are able to revert back to a 10 feet hoop and full-sized basketball as the children grow taller and stronger and thus more capable of performing the game with the equipment.

Additionally, the game itself may be further adjusted for children that are more developed and capable of performing more complex movements, such as adding a variety to the types of shots used to score (ex. instead of a regular overhand shot, use a underhand shot or layup). The distance may also be adjusted, for instance, instead of shooting from a free-throw distance, they may shoot from the three-point line.

Much like the game "Simon Says", all of these modifications are used to create an inclusive playing environment for all children participating. Thus if a only a few children are able to score on a 10 foot hoop or use a full-sized basketball, the modifications would still be in place to accommodate the children that are not yet developed to perform such movements.

Summarizing Structured Play

There have been multiple studies that show incorporating structured play has lifelong benefits. Structured play promotes increased physical activity levels and the likelihood a child will be physically active for life. Structured play at a young age can spark children by benefitting them cognitively and proprioceptively on understanding rules, planning movements, understanding direction and managing frustration. Engaging in structured play promotes and strengthens motor skill development and learning. Though, it is essential to keep in mind that over-scheduling of structured play can lead to burnout and a decrease in attention span for children.