Children use defined Indoors: role play Sarah (5y 2m) Indoors: spaces and resources areas currently set up explained a photo of Civilian for pretend as a police-station and children in the Show occupations: a Postman Pat Time arena: Nearly police; role play area everybody wanted to priest previously set up as go on. But only four Shows: Show Time Show Time Arena; allowed in. There was Arena dressing up clothes a big red stage. You Princesses (role specific) had to dance or sing. Outdoors: Outdoors: sand tray Richard (5y 0m) Civilian with Bob the Builder explained children’s occupations: hard hats, coats, boots play choices: builders & spades; push chairs Sometimes the girls dress up as princesses and the boys dress up as firemen ... sometimes they pretend to put out fires. Children exercise Indoors: the police control over social station offered an experience through enclosed and private opportunities for space privacy Children explore the Indoors: dressing up Indoors: possibilities of clothes (not role spaces specific) Outdoors: Outdoors: Children explore the Indoors: possibilities of Outdoors: crates materials Children personalise Indoors: their environment by Outdoors: moving resources, including furniture and loose parts Table 3: The physical environment of a reception class and children’s pretend play themes Pretend play in a Steiner kindergarten The Steiner kindergarten has no role-play areas with a defined theme. It offered varied opportunities for children to personalise spaces, places and things, supporting a range of play themes. Table 4 sets out key features of the kindergarten’s physical environment; the perspective of two children on the affordances of the environment; and a list of pretend play themes identified by 11 kindergarten children with ages between 4 years 6 months and 5 years 6 months.
Children use defined spaces and resources for pretend Indoors: role play areas currently set up as a police-station and a Postman Pat role play area previously set up as Show Time Arena; dressing up clothes (role specific) Outdoors: sand tray with Bob the Builder hard hats, coats, boots & spades; push chairs Sarah (5y 2m) explained a photo of children in the Show Time arena: Nearly everybody wanted to go on. But only four allowed in. There was a big red stage. You had to dance or sing. Richard (5y 0m) explained children’s play choices: Sometimes the girls dress up as princesses and the boys dress up as firemen ... sometimes they pretend to put out fires. Indoors: Civilian occupations: police; priest Shows: Show Time Arena Princesses Outdoors: Civilian occupations: builders Children exercise control over social experience through opportunities for privacy Indoors: the police station offered an enclosed and private space Children explore the possibilities of spaces Indoors: dressing up clothes (not role specific) Outdoors: Indoors: Outdoors: Children explore the possibilities of materials Indoors: Outdoors: crates Children personalise their environment by moving resources, including furniture and loose parts Indoors: Outdoors: Table 3: The physical environment of a reception class and children’s pretend play themes Pretend play in a Steiner kindergarten The Steiner kindergarten has no role-play areas with a defined theme. It offered varied opportunities for children to personalise spaces, places and things, supporting a range of play themes. Table 4 sets out key features of the kindergarten’s physical environment; the perspective of two children on the affordances of the environment; and a list of pretend play themes identified by 11 kindergarten children with ages between 4 years 6 months and 5 years 6 months.