Observation of Play

February 6, 2009 from 1 to 3 PM

Who: afternoon preschoolers
What: observation of children playing in a structured and non structured setting
Where: SNC Children's Center
Ages: 4 and 5
Gender: female and male
Demographics: Caucasian, mixture of low to middle SES

This week, the afternoon preschoolers had a new child join the class. It has been interesting to see how he interacts with the other children and with his completely new environment. He has seemed very over stimulated to me. He is unable to play in one center for more than a few minutes because everything is just so new to him that he wants to do everything. I feel as though he has never been exposed to a structured environment and being in preschool is definitely an adjustment for him.

I love watching the children play in the dramatic play area. They come up with the greatest scenarios. They usually act like little adults in the dramatic play area because they are acting out what they see occur in the world around them. It was interesting to see a few of the children playing house and the way they grounded the other children. That must be the way they hear their parents talk. I also love watching them in the blocks section. The children make the greatest zoos and towers. The first thing that everyone does in the block area is stack the blocks, which is a sign of constructing and building their architectural skills.