Foundations Of Playwork

This book provides a holistic overview of contemporary play and playwork.

"Foundations of Playwork is a must read for anyone with an interest in playwork or children's services. It shows the breadth, depth and value of our work with and on behalf of children." Mike Greenaway, Director of Play Wales Play impacts on all aspects of human behaviour and development, including the social, physical, cognitive, creative, emotional and spiritual worlds. The profession of playwork endeavours to provide enriched play environments with a view to enabling children achieve their full potential. This book provides a holistic overview of contemporary play and playwork. Straightforward and accessible, it covers topics such as playwork identity; play environments; the role of the playworker; values and ethics; play and playwork theory; and at the heart of the book, a special chapter located at the cutting-edge of 21st century play theory. The authors position play and playwork within the broader social context of the management and development of play settings, work within and between different sectors of the children's workforce, and the socio-legal framework of children's rights, and legislation. The book has international interest, considering playwork in the UK, US and Romania. It looks at diverse settings such as prisons, hospitals, parks, adventure playgrounds and play centres, schools, youth settings and nurseries. Contributions from many of the leading names in playwork offer the most current theory and practice in the field. They present approaches to playwork using a range of techniques such as case studies and critiques, applied and emergent theorizing, story-telling and reflection. This encourages the reader to gain a breadth of perspective and develop their own contribution to the playwork tradition. Foundations of Playwork is a vital resource for playwork students, practitioners, members of the children's workforce, carers and parents.

This book brings together theoretical perspectives and practical advice to improve playwork practice. There are chapters on the role of adventure playgrounds; the challenge of starting a playwork section in a local authority; and the value of networking.

"[An] excellent book... With its breadth of discourse, it held my attention throughout. ... This book is informative, but also challenges views on the play experience and the playwork profession. It will be of interest to all those that work and play with young children. The place of playwork and playworkers... is described with passion: readers cannot help but be totally absorbed by this book." Early Years, Vol 24, No 1, March 2004 Children learn and develop through their play. In today's world the opportunities for that to happen are increasingly restricted. The profession of playwork seeks to reintroduce such opportunities, and so enable children to achieve their full potential. This book brings together many leading names in the playwork field, to produce a text that has something for everyone. The in-depth exploration of a range of theoretical perspectives will appeal to both playwork students and practising playworkers. Experienced practitioners offer sound practical advice about ways of improving playwork practice. There are chapters on the role of adventure playgrounds (past, present and future); the challenge of starting a playwork section in a local authority; and the value of networking. Contributors explore the essence of play; the historical roots of playwork; and the role of play cues in human and animal behaviour. There is an exploration of the astounding impact of a therapeutic playwork project on the development of a group of abandoned children in Romania. The final chapter reinforces the need for playworkers to be reflective practitioners in all aspects of their work.

Reflective Playwork provides an introduction to playwork values, principles and practice for all who work with children. It recognizes that play is a need for all, and seeks to encourage the provision of time and space for all children to freely enjoy its benefits. In a world where we are ever seeking to protect our children and to encourage their educational progress, it is often overlooked that the need for play is as important as the need for food and sleep. Play deprivation can result in a child having less energy for education, a lower ability to use creative and imaginative ways of problem solving, a poorer self image, being less able to cope with the stresses and strains of life and sometimes being more likely to look for ‘kicks' in anti-social ways. This book encourages a greater understanding of play from the child's perspective, and suggests ways in which adults can support and enhance play. It covers: •Playwork principles and practice •Play theory •The child •Playwork values and practice •Playwork and society •Playwork education, training and continuing professional development •Quality and management of playwork It is written for those who are instinctively, or otherwise, looking to promote and celebrate the need for play in all of their work with children, and who see their role as supportive rather than supervisory. Further, it is for those who recognize that the rewards of working with children come as a privilege. Reflective Playwork is for the playworker and for all others who work with children - such as childcare practitioners, teaching assistants, health workers, social workers, teachers and those in management - who are looking to understand and adopt, at appropriate times, the values and principles in their own settings.

After-school programs are becoming an important developmental support for low and moderate-income children. This book describes the historical development, current status, and critical issues facing these programs. Divided into historical eras for easy reference, the text examines: - The evolution of after-school programs and their role in the lives of children, providing a framework for reflecting on broader, contemporary issues such as the effects of poverty on children in the United States.- The rationales for and objectives of these programs and how both were shaped by prevailing societal ideas about children.- Patterns of sponsorship and staffing, describing daily routines and exploring the nature of children's experiences in different kinds of programs.- The relationship between after-school programs and schools, analyzing how these programs have responded to the dilemma of balancing children's needs for guidance and supervision with their equally important need for spontaneity and self-expression.- Current directions and expectations for the future of after-school programs.

Bringing together authors from a range of academic disciplines and research backgrounds – united as standard-bearers for the child’s right to play – and set against a backdrop evoking play’s critical essence, this book documents the rise and fall of an explosive period of political interest in play in the UK. Has the withdrawal of so much state funding damaged the playwork profession forever? Has the battle for recognition of the significance of play in child development been lost? Why is children’s happiness always so low on the agendas of our politicians? The invaluable contributions in this book identify the lessons learned, and the opportunities that may be available to those determined to maintain the struggle for a greater recognition of the importance of children’s play in an era defined by the oppressive politics of austerity. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Play.

Children like to play. They get all sorts of benefits from playing. They get the most benefit from play when they are in control of what they are doing. Yet there are lots of circumstances today that mean children are not able to control their own play and that's where playwork comes in, where the role of the playworker is to create environments that enable children to take control of their playing. This book aims to explore the similarities, differences and tensions that exist between play and playwork including appropriate definitions and the conflict around the role of the adult. Fraser Brown proposes a play to playwork continuum, where playing can be considered a 'developmental and evolutionary' activity and playwork a 'compensatory' activity. Helpfully structured around the aspects considered by the author as most important for playwork, this book uses 101 fascinating stories of children playing to illuminate a range of play and playwork theories. The rich array of powerful stories - drawn from the casebooks of eminent and experienced playworkers - speak for themselves whilst at the same time triggering theoretical explorations that are interwoven with the stories in each chapter. Mesmerizing, absorbing and original, this is essential reading for playwork students and practitioners, as well as for students and practitioners of early years, childhood, children's health and wellbeing, and children’s social care.