Tier 1:
Play Categories
How much agency does a child have in the play experience?
Within the overarching definition of play, there are four Play Categories: Spontaneous Play, Free Play, Guided Play, and Structured Play. These categories are ordered and defined based on the level of agency the child has in their play experience, according to the role of the adult, role of the child and the source of motivation and materials. These categories cannot occur at the same time. However, they operate on a continuum and can be fluid: a child may move from one category to another and back during the same play experience (for example, if they ask an adult for help during free play, they shift to guided play).
Spontaneous Play
Play experiences are completely child-initiated and child-directed. There is no predetermined learning objective, but learning is inherent to the process.
Child Role
Children guide their own learning through free interactions with materials, their environment and peers. Children are free from all formal institutionalized areas.
Adult Role
Adults are not involved in any part of the play experience.
Materials
Materials are open-ended. There is no adult influence over the materials used. The child creates the materials used for play -- whether literally or through the invention of creative ways to use materials in a different way than they were intended to be used by the adults who made them.
Motivation
Materials are open-ended. There is no adult influence over the materials used. The child creates the materials used for play -- whether literally or through the invention of creative ways to use materials in a different way than they were intended to be used by the adults who made them.
Examples
Using sticks and rocks to represent people in an imaginative story
Building a structure with items found around the house
Using items from the kitchen to play music
Free Play
Play experiences are child-initiated and child-directed. However, adults provide the materials and may limit the time frame. There is no predetermined learning objective, but learning is inherent to the process.
Child Role
Children guide their own learning through free interactions with materials, their environment and peers.
Adult Role
Adults are not directly involved in the play experience, but are involved in what materials are available to the children and guide the time frame of the play.
Materials
The materials may be freely selected or created by the child from a set of materials made available by an adult.
Motivation
Children are intrinsically motivated.
Examples
Playing with objects like dolls or blocks with no adult interaction
Playing on playgrounds or play structures
Painting, drawing, creating freely with materials
Guided Play
Play experiences are adult-initiated, but child-directed. There is a set learning objective.
Child Role
Children partake in learning based on the materials the adult has provided, as well as adult feedback.
Adult Role
Adults provide the materials and the setting for the play experience. The adult initiates the play experience and scaffolds for the child based on a learning objective. The adult may play alongside the child and/or engage in play-related dialogue with the goal of enhancing the child’s learning.
Materials
The materials are selected and provided by the adult and/or impact how a child interacts with the materials. The materials themselves may be designed to offer guidance to a child.
Motivation
Children may be both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated.
Examples
Sociodramatic play where the adult plays a role
“Learning toys” (e.g. Montessori toys, Tangram puzzles)
An adult guides children in recreating famous structures in the block center
Structured Play
Play experiences are adult-initiated and adult-directed. These are games or activities that have inflexible rules and specific goals that may relate to a desired learning outcome.
Child Role
Children follow the direction of the adults or the rules prescribed by the game.
Adult Role
Adults plan, monitor and control the activity. The adults create the activity and determine the rules.
Materials
The materials are provided by the adult, are fixed, and are connected to a set of rules.
Motivation
Children are extrinsically motivated (by an adult or competition) or intrinsically motivated following an extrinsic motivation source.
Examples
Board games
Organized sports games
Curated “learning games” (e.g. sight word tic-tac-toe, bingo)
Computer or video games
Notes:
Institutionalized areas refers to places where there are a concrete set of rules that inherently impact a child’s sense of freedom (e.g. school, places of worship).
Motivation is nearly impossible to measure, these distinctions are what one would expect given likely external influences.