Nursery World - In character (2)

Observe three children digging in the sand and you will see three different approaches. Philip Waters looks at how playworkers can respond to a child's playful needs Imagine three children of similar ages playing on a beach and digging in the sand. The first child may start to dig their hole just for the sensation of digging - the physical exertion. The second child may engage in what seems comparative of the first child, but instead may be hunting for treasure, while the third child, similar to the other two, may be digging their way to the centre of the earth in some frantic attempt to escape reality.

Imagine three children of similar ages playing on a beach and digging in the sand. The first child may start to dig their hole just for the sensation of digging - the physical exertion. The second child may engage in what seems comparative of the first child, but instead may be hunting for treasure, while the third child, similar to the other two, may be digging their way to the centre of the earth in some frantic attempt to escape reality.

All three children are showing external behaviours (digging a hole) that on simple observation are identical in content, but their individual approaches are reflective of an internal state of mind, or state of play.

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