Around the Nursery, Part 3 - In on the act

Imagine the scene. A three-year-old tells another child to change the baby’s nappy while slamming down a toy iron on a board and sighing deeply. The other child, dressed as a superhero, picks up a doll and strides out. Such domestic scenes are regularly played out in early years settings as children enjoy taking on both familiar and new roles in their play.

This type of play incorpates the ‘home corner’, ‘dressing up’, as well as ‘fantasy’ and ‘superhero’ play, but here I am going to use the umbrella term of ‘role play’. Taking on and acting out a part is taken seriously by children, so I would argue that settings should plan and provide for it with equal seriousness.

AGES AND STAGES

What is interesting about watching a toddler play in a kitchen alongside older children is how differently they play. This is because role play develops in complexity over time.

Under-twos

Some one-year-olds will act out regular routines – for example, feeding a teddy with a spoon or trying to put a nappy on a doll – but overall this age group’s interest and ability to role play is often quite sporadic. Prams, pushchairs and other wheeled toys are enjoyed by toddlers, but their focus is often on moving fast and enjoying the physical experience of pushing.

Two to three years old

Younger two-year-olds are often focused on what props can do, so they may spend a little time opening and closing the cupboard door in the kitchen or picking out dressing-up clothes that they like.

Scenes and routines that are familiar to them are often acted out. This might be ‘telling off’ a teddy or feeding a baby. As children’s language develops towards the end of this year, we may also see greater coherency in their play and also more connections being made with other children.

Three to four years old

Most children at the age of three are talking well enough to play co-operatively with others and are able to engage in a range of role-play scenarios, including shops, doctors and garden centres. Children in this age group often sustain play better when they have had some experience and direct knowledge of the role-play topic.

Dressing-up clothes are popular with this age group, although some items such as princess dresses may be worn without children actually using them for role play.

Four to six years old

Role play in this age group can become increasingly complex and organised. Children may negotiate ‘scripts’ ahead of acting out the scenario and may also replay scenes to make them more satisfying.

Inspiration for child-initiated role play may come from popular shows and films, including those aimed at adults such as X Factor.

For some children, an element of performance starts to creep in and many five- and six-year-olds start to ask adults to watch their play. At other times, some children may prefer that adults stay away from the role-play area and may show signs of inhibition if they know that they are being watched.

BENEFITS

When role play is rich and of interest to children, there are many benefits that link to the EYFS, particularly for children over three years old.

Personal, social and emotional development

Role play helps children to explore their feelings, those of others and also to put themselves in positions of power. Where children are playing together, we will also see a mini society created which may include some fallouts and tensions as older children work out who is going to play which part.

It is also worth noting that role play can provide an opening for children to replay what they have seen and experienced in a safe context – both the mundane, such as going shopping, but also events that have been overwhelming for them. In some cases, this might include child protection issues.

Language development

Most role play involves talk of some sort. Toddlers may self-talk – when they repeat simple phrases or single words when acting out routines.

Older children increasingly use language to create authentic dialogues, but also to explain, persuade and negotiate with other children. We also see language being used to create sequences, so that Reception-aged children are, in some cases, almost producing a script before starting their play – saying, for example, ‘When you come in, you need to say, “Where have you been?’’’

Role play can also be used as a tool to develop children’s vocabulary if new props and role-play opportunities are planned. For children who are new to English, role play in the home corner can help them learn the English words associated with routines and objects that are found in the home.

Mathematics

There are opportunities for mathematical thinking within the role-play area when it is resourced in ways that enable children to use numbers, size and shape. Having said this, learning is only likely to occur if mathematics is fundamental to the role play itself – for example, a shop may lend itself to opportunities to count.

In addition, adults may need to draw children’s attention to the mathematical possibilities, especially when introducing new role play – for example, showing children how to measure feet with a gauge in the ‘shoe shop’.

Literacy

The role-play area is an ideal place to encourage mark-making. This might be appointment cards, customer evaluation sheets or a simple shopping list. As with mathematics, adults need to model mark-making in the role-play area, so that children can see the possibilities and integrate it into their play.

In addition, books can be the starting point for role play within current provision or inspire the creation of a totally new theme for the role-play area.

Understanding the world

Role play can open the doors to new experiences for children, and so links to Ofsted’s interest in ‘cultural capital’. It can help children try out roles in places unfamiliar to them – for example, visiting a dog-grooming parlour.

To ensure that children can take an active part in the otherwise unfamiliar, it is always worth finding ways of giving children knowledge of what takes place. This might mean going on an outing, looking at books, inviting visitors to the setting or showing a film clip.

Expressive arts and design

In some ways, role play links beautifully to this area of the curriculum. Many young children are learning the skills of performance in an uncontrived and effortless way. Children can also be encouraged to make props such as playdough pizzas for their restaurant or drawings for adverts.

PLANNING

It is worth creating a plan for role-play themes, inside and outdoors, so that children can try out new situations and different roles while also developing a wide vocabulary. Having a broad plan in place allows time to gather together props and resources. It is the props that often make or break high-quality role play and children’s ability to learn new vocabulary.

Planning ahead also means that other activities can be put in place to help the children make sense of the role-play theme – for example, inviting a hairdresser to visit the nursery ahead of creating a salon or barber’s role-play area.

Age and stage

Think about the age and stage of children when planning role play. Toddlers love the ‘doing’, while older children often jump into roles they haven’t experienced personally.

Interests

Be guided by children’s experiences and consider these questions:

• What experiences have children already had and can you build on them?
• What might be new and interesting for children?

Space and layout

Make sure there is enough space for children to engage in the type of role play that you have planned for them.

Create a layout that allows flow in and out of the space.

Think about how to link role play indoors and outdoors – for example, online delivery involving couriers.

Props

Think through what props are needed for the specific role play – for example, shops will need a phone, computer screen, counter, cash till, credit cards, wallets, adverts and an open and closed sign.

Provide mathematical opportunities in the props that you choose – for example, shoe boxes of different sizes or hangers that show sizing such as ‘small’, ‘medium’ or ‘2-3 years’.

Adult role

Consider the following questions:

• How do you plan to introduce the area?
• What role will you take on, and what phrases or actions do you need to model so that children can learn about the theme and develop their vocabulary?
• How will you draw children’s attention to any mathematical and literacy activities embedded within the role play?
• How will you maintain the role-play area so that it remains attractive and functions well for children later in the session?

Home, sweet home

Aim to provide a domestic scene so that children can go from their ‘home’ to another place. Having said that, this area also needs to be planned and sometimes changed.

Props are important in terms of providing coherency of play, as well as language learning. It is worth planning a focus on different aspects of the home – for example, provide a kitchen complete with spices, a tea towel, oven gloves and tablets for the dishwasher one week, followed another week by a focus on the bedroom, complete with hanging space for clothes, a duvet cover and bedside lamps.

Mixed-age groups

Ideally, provide a range of role-play opportunities, but if space is tight, offer opportunities that allow older children to take the lead and younger ones to explore the props. Shops and restaurant role plays are often good for this. For example:

Create a repair shop and provide mobile phone accessories. Older children can focus on the service, while younger ones can explore the phones.

Combine the dough table at a pizza restaurant with a delivery service. Older children can take orders and do the deliveries; younger children can enjoy playing with the dough and being customers.

Create a shoe shop with different styles of footwear and a foot measuring service. Younger children can try on the shoes, while the older children can pretend to be sales staff.

Issues in role play

Role play can present some challenges for practitioners, as it ‘opens doors’ on what children have seen and heard.

Inappropriate behaviour When acting in role play, children may use phrases or show behaviours that are offensive or inappropriate. It is important that strategies are in place on how to intervene when this takes place in ways that are sensitive to the circumstances.

Thought also needs to be given to when and if to intervene during any power play that is taking place – for example, when one child gives orders or doesn’t allow other children to join in fully.

Gender stereotypes Gender within role play is tricky, as some children are likely to play out very gendered roles based on what they have seen on a screen or what they believe to be the roles that men and women play. It is likely to be seen with children who are three and over.

Before intervening in the actual role play, it is worth casting an eye over the whole environment, resources and activities that are provided within the setting:

To what extent are you opening children’s minds to a range of activities that both men and women can do successfully?

What books are you sharing with children and what visitors are coming in to share their skills and knowledge across the potential gender divide?

EVALUATING

There are three key terms that Ofsted considers when looking at the quality of education in a setting: Intention, Implementation and Impact. Here are some questions to help you reflect on role play:

Intention

What are you hoping children will gain from role-play area(s)?

Why have you chosen these themes, resources and props?

How will you use the role-play area to develop children’s mathematical and language skills, including vocabulary?

How do you plan for role play?

Implementation

Are the resources and props sufficient and do they support children in their learning?

Do adults interact with children in ways that will support their learning and development?

Are children able to find the play possibilities in this area easily?

How do adults respond when inappropriate language or actions take place?

How do adults engage children in role-play opportunities?

Impact

Do children appear to enjoy and be challenged by the role-play opportunities that you provide?

Are children showing specific knowledge and vocabulary due to playing in the role-play area?

Is children’s learning extended by the role play on offer?

With thanks to practitioners and children at N London Fields, www.nfamilyclub.com/n-london-fields

Part 4, on malleable materials, will be published on 9 December

ABOUT THIS SERIES

The ‘Quality of education’ judgement in the new Ofsted framework aims to encourage settings to reduce their focus on outcomes data and prioritise the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of children’s learning.

This series ‘walks’ practitioners through the main areas of continuous provision to help them reflect on:

• what they want children to learn (Intent)
• how to support that learning (Implementation)
• the impact of that support (Impact), and how, come inspection day, they will articulate to inspectors what they are doing and why.