Explain and Evaluate How Adults Can Effectively Initiate and Direct Play?

Explain and evaluate how adults can effectively initiate and direct play?

Adult directed means that an adult structures and directs the play. For example, the adult says Lets play catch, you stand here and I will throw you the ball. The adult says now hold out your hands! The adult tosses the ball and the child catches. Then the adult says now you throw the ball to me. This kind of play is fun for the child and he/she learns how to catch better, but it does not stimulate creativity. Here's an example of child initiated play: the child says to the adult or another child, let’s play catch. You stand right there and I will throw the ball to you. Catch! The adult catches and throws it back, and the child says now let’s make it bounce first. The child makes the ball bounce once as he/she passes it to the adult. Another child comes up and says can I play too? And the first child says yes, you stand right over here and Miss Leslie will throw it to you and you throw it to me, but you have to make it bounce! The child may change the rules in other ways, such as throw it high, or run all the way around with it before you throw it. It's the child's game and the rules are theirs to make! The adult supports by helping the children negotiate any conflicts and making sure the game stays safe. Adult initiated play is “where adults put out toys and resources in ways that may prompt children to play in specific ways”[2] so therefore isn’t as direct as adult directed play because an adult just initiates the play with a few prompts to ensure the child is all the enrichment they can out of play. Adult initiated play is also beneficial because they steer the child into the right direction on play by setting up for certain activities but the child has a sense of independence and thus is more creative too.

Adults can effectively initiate and direct play by for example telling children what is available so they know what is new or even to spot what is there that they may not have...