The play classification: main and subsidiary groups
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FORMS OF INTERACTION
Private Play |
- seven subgroups
- played by family members on their own, parents, child, siblings - and express private and intimate interaction
- described as: ordinary everyday life ordinary private play tickling play with parents play with siblings messing about, having fun fighting for fun kiss and cuddles play tumbling about/being together
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Play with playmates/friend/party games |
- free play with playmates/siblings on an everyday basis and participation in parties and gatherings with siblings, friends and playmates
- described as: free play party parties birthdays
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Acting/performing/presenting |
- includes play and performance within music, theatre, dressing-up, etc. with all the associated props and instruments
- described as: acrobatics cinema circus dancing puppet theatre fairy tale play/theatre pretty ladies music/song/playing music rhyming role play fairground magician dressing-up
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Care/nursing/childminding play |
- includes caring for infants and sick children - described as: kindergarten doctors caring old people hospitals nurses crèche
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Guessing games/teasers/hide-and-seek |
- includes play with and without rules
- described as: Blind Man’s Buff teasing Hunt the Thimble guessing riddles Pictionary guessing things guessing the smell songs and singing games hide-and-seek (forms of hiding) guess why Mum is angry “You’re getting warmer” (find an object)
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Tag/hunting/war games |
- often rowdy games texted on the basis of confrontations
- described as: Action Force Cowboys and Indians animals/dangerous playing “tag” war Masters of the Universe girls catch the boys Cops and Robbers playing “tick, you’re on”
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Dolls/support play |
- play with dolls and teddy bears, dolls’ house, etc.
- described as: playing with dolls, dressing-up dolls, dolls, ponies, etc.
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ANIMALS
Live animals |
- two subgroups
- includes play with animals, pets and domestic animals which were mentioned as toys (even though many parents and children indicated that animals are not toys and are not meant for playing with)
- apart from pets/domestic animals, described as: riding dog training animal exhibitions and cattle shows
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Toy animals/support play |
- includes figures, ornaments, series animals, etc. and symbolic animals
- described as: farm animals Noah’s Ark safari zoo
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TOOLS
Look/listen/learn games |
- four subgroups
- includes games concerned with learning, playing school, etc.
- described as: homework reading stories (telling stories, word and spelling games and school)
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Work/job play |
- motivated by a variety of jobs, work, business (possibly the child’s parents’)
- described as: baker driver ladies hairdresser emergency services grocer post office restaurant waiter
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Tools/collecting/pastimes |
- includes games which can also be a kind of work or service in which real tools, implements and toys are used.
- described as: helping indoors/outdoors postage stamps drawing/cutting out/sticking textile hobbies computer play (play with) arranging (collection) working in the workshop pottering about in the kitchen
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Play with toys/play with toy tools |
- where toys are used directly from the toy classification groups transport/machinery, props, farming, etc.
- also described as: cars, tractors, three-wheeler playing with toys (unspecified) racing track, train and train set
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SYSTEMS
Construction/support play |
- five subgroups
includes play with system, technical and construction toys and materials for shaping objects (clay, Plasticine, dough)
- described as: building play DUPLO play with bricks LEGO clay, Plasticine, dough Playmobil
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Art/cultural play |
- play and creative activities with words and pictures
- described as: writing poems painting pictures writing stories drawing
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Games |
- all types of games with rules/problem-solving/decision-making games (defined more precisely, see “games”)
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Athletics/sports |
- athletic and sport play which are motivated by sports disciplines - play and activities in water
- described as: badminton playing ball football gymnastics running training swimming messing about in the swimming pool practising sport balancing (girls) - with gymnastics equipment
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Play with props |
- motivated by activities requiring special props but which are not disciplined, playground play
- described as: darts flying kites elastic Frisbee swing building a den (indoors) “tick-off-ground” croquet mini-golf skating (rollerblades) skipping pole tennis
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NATURE
Trips/excursions |
- two subgroups
- trips and excursions into natural environment which can include specific activities
- described as: camping trip cycling trip hunting fishing trip nature walks walking in the woods walking on the beach excursions
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Nature activities |
- outdoor, free play in natural environment or park/garden, seasonal or all the year round
- described as: bonfire/fire/lanterns building a den outdoors playing outside free play in open spaces treasure hunt winter games
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