Nursery World - A Unique Child: Practice in Pictures

Observing the level of involvement that children show in their play can tell you much about their emotional well-being, says Anne O'Connor.

Seb (age three years four months) is at playgroup. There are a couple of sand trays grouped together and lots of familiar containers and utensils available. Nearby are some hollow blocks that the children are using as pretend ovens.

Seb is very talkative, initiating and directing the play until later when an older, very experienced child comes along. Seb shows previous knowledge of cooking and baking as he checks if the cakes are ready and warns the others that the ovens are hot. He shows high levels of involvement and well-developed social skills as he confidently engages with the other children.

1. Although the children are well supervised, there is no direct adult involvement and the children are directing their own play.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included