June 2004
PLAY ACTIVITIES ♦ DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCE
Activity begins for a child as soon as they respond to light, and focus on objects. Visual experience with light and bright colors is important to the child.
4 months old The infant at 16 weeks spends much of his waking period in physical activity. He is able to grasp objects, and enjoys brightly colored dangling toys.
7 months old At this age the infant plays with feet and hands and does a lot of vigorous bouncing and kicking. He enjoys playing with string, paper, soft rubber squeak toys, rattles, and blocks with balls or beads inside.
10 months old Vocalization is part of the infant’s activity now. He is usually capable of producing two syllable sounds. He enjoys making lip noises and vocalizes at a high pitch. He concentrates on inspection and exploration of toys, chewing almost everything within his reach.
One year old Now the child is pulling himself to stand, cruising, creeping on floors, and standing alone. Activities most enjoyed are gross motor activities, such as putting objects in and out of cups, baskets, boxes, or smooth edged cans. Playschool Postal Box, Blocks – Rubber and Plastic, Peg boards and pegs, Color cube board
18 month old – Endless Exercise of Walking Activity Child explores more; likes stuffed animals; likes pull toys; likes pictures of familiar objects; likes short rhythms and interesting sounds; likes to participate in routine household activities. He loves to move things and climb, so furniture which could be tipped over should be anchored or removed from the play area. The play is solitary or onlooker play. Pull toys, Push toys, Blocks, Wooden Trains, Scrapbooks, Postal boxes
Two years old 1. Less rapid shifts in attention. Interest in drawling and manipulating play material to feel, pat, and pound. 2. Interest in dolls and teddy bears (domestic mimicry); beads (string them), or drop them in holes in tops of boxes or cans only to dump them out and repeat the process; blocks and wagon (transports blocks in wagon more than building with them.) 3. Does not imitate things which he remembers, but only those events which are present to his senses.
1 June 2004
4. Parallel play predominates when with other children, though he obviously enjoys being with other children. 5. Little interest in what other children do or say, but may hug them or push them out of the way as though they were physical objects. 6. Little social give-and-take but much physical snatch and grab accompanied by defending rights by kicking and pulling hair which may end in hilarious scuffle. 7. Does not ask for help; adult must be constantly watchful and ready to help without waiting to be asked. List of Toys for Two Year Old Level I. Develop Physical Strength and Skill Push and Pull Toys Wagon Wheelbarrow
Wooden Beads and String II. Develop Creative Play Large Hollow Blocks Large Peg boards and Pegs Cones of Blocks
III. Develop Ego Strength Doll Carriage Broom Sweeper Dishes Simple Trains Simple Boats Toy Animals Milk Wagon
IV. Social Development Dolls Balls Blocks Wagons Picture Books Lacing Shoe
V. Develop Artistic Ability Easel Large Crayons Modeling Clay Jingle Bells Drums
2 June 2004
Three year old 1. Dramatization and imagination beginning to enter into play. 2. Interest in combining such playthings as blocks and cars, making roads, garages, and bridges. 3. Increasing interest in playing with other children rather than playing alone. May play in groups of two or three, but these are constantly shifting in make-up and activity. 4. Cooperative activity taking the place of physical contacts. 5. Is willing to wait his turn. 6. Will put away his toys with some supervision. List of Toys for Three Year Old Level I. Develop Physical Strength and Skill Junior Jungle Gym Toy auto to ride in Small Slide Three Wheeled Scooters Balance Board Wading Pool Push and Pull Toys
II. Develop Creative Ability Sand Toys Blunt Scissors and Colored Paper Tinker Toys Hammer and Large Nail Set Picture Puzzles (3-4 pieces) Montessori Pieces
III. Ego Strength Development Broom Sweeper Dump Truck Small Auto for dolls Design blocks.
IV. Social Development Dolls Doll Corner Material (furniture) Balls Wagons
V. Artistic Development Easel Modeling Clay Crayons Water Colors
3 June 2004
Play Dough
Four year old 1. Considerable increase in constructive use of materials and in manipulation and dramatization of play. 2. Has very complicated ideas but unable to carry them out in detail, and has no carryover from day to day. 3. Prefers to play in a group of two or three children. Often chooses favorite companion of own sex. 4. Suggests turns but is often bossy in directing others and is often silly in his play and may do things wrong purposely. 5. Puts away toys by himself. 6. Marked rise in activity. 7. Likes to “dress up.” List of Toys for Four Year Old Level I. Develop Physical Strength and Skill Bubble Set Sand Digger Simple Throwing Games Simple Rolling Games Balls Hand Car Ten Pin Game
II. Develop Dramatic and Imitative Play Garden Toys Housekeeping Toys Simple Stories Fire Engines Garages and Gas Stations Farm Sets Noah’s Ark Toy Telephone
III. Social Development Toy Village
IV. Creative Development Blocks Paper to Cut Blunt Scissors Small Beads to String Felt-O-Game Picture Puzzles
V. Artistic Development
4 June 2004
Easel Large Paints and Crayons Finger Painting Material Modeling Clay Paper Weaving Paper Chains Paper Birds Chalk or Crayon Drawings Sewing Cards Sewing Coasters Sewing Pictures
VI. Educational Stimulation Animal and Bird Stimulation Object Lotto Games Scrapbooks and Pictures Aquarium
Five year old 1. Very fond of cutting out and pasting and in working on a specific project such as a store or a boat (project is carried over from day to day), and in dressing up in adult’s clothes 2. Definite interest in finishing what he has started even though it takes several days. 3. Plays in groups of two to five. Friendships are becoming stronger. 4. Spurred on in activity by rivalry. 5. Interest in going on excursions. List of toys for Five Year Old Level I. Develop Strength and Skill Tennis Racket with Ball attached Scooter Simple Throwing Games Simple Rolling Games Balls Roller Skates and Ice Skates Ten Pin Game Kite
II. Develop Dramatic and Imitative Play (con’t) Noah’s Ark Toy Telephone Small Pocketbook
III. Social Development Animal Lasso Games X-Ray Pictures
5 June 2004
Huckleberry Hound Game Counting Frame Parquetry Blocks
IV. Creative Play Blocks Paper to Cut Blunt Scissors Simple Tool Chest Hammer and Small Nail Set Indian Hat Musical Instruments
V. Artistic Development Woven Paper mats Easel Large Paints and Crayons Finger Painting Pictures Chalk and Crayon Drawing Water Colors Leather Link Belts
VI. Educational Stimulation Animal and Bird Lotto Games Rubber Stamp Print Set Animal and Bird Picture Puzzles Scrapbook and Pictures Aquarium Lincoln Logs
Six years old 1. Takes more active part in reading. 2. He may “read” stories from memory as though he were really reading the printed page aloud. 3. Recognizes single words in books and magazines. 4. Daily comics and comic books telling about animals are beginning to make a steady in-road into his life.
Seven year old 1. Enjoys reading those portions of stories which are within his ability. 2. Boys interested in Army-Navy stories, and books on airplanes, electricity, earth, and nature. 3. Girls choose such books as Heidi.
Eight year old 1. Enjoys reading spontaneously.
6 June 2004
2. Still enjoys being read to. 3. Enjoys hearing classics of childhood. 4. Interested in books of travel, geography, and far away times and places. 5. Comic books are still favorites; they are collected, borrowed, and hoarded. 6. Still likes the animal and slap-stick comics. 7. Beginning to branch out into the blood and thunder type. 8. Likes to look at pictorial magazines and catalogues.
Nine year old 1. They are great readers at this age and may even appear to be living in the book world. 2. The books he likes, he reads over and over again. 3. Very fond of animal stories. 4. Repeated favorites are Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, King Arthur, and Bambi. 5. Biographies, mysteries, and the encyclopedia or reference all interest him. 6. Fond of comic books which deal with adventure, war, and slap-stick, domestic humor. 7. Is not so fanatical about reading comic books and will accept other books. Suggested list of toys for early childhood: Six to Ten Years I. Development of Physical Strength and Skill Gym Equipment Jungle Gym Ring Toss Games Archery with rubber tipped arrows Croquet Hoops Tops to Spin Kites Jump Ropes Marbles Ball and Jack Set Stilts Sleds Skis Woodworking
II. Develop Constructive and Creative Play Metal and Wood construction sets Picture Puzzles (12 pieces and over) Modeling wax and clay Paper Craft materials Felt-o-grams Construction blocks (complicated) Leatherwork
7 June 2004
Model Airplanes
III. Develop Dramatic and Imitative Play Circus sets Toy Theater Puppets and Marionettes Toy Greenhouse Play Stories Cash Register Boats Dolls and Paper Dolls Doll Houses Families of small dolls Doll Trunks, etc. Costumes
IV. Social Development National costume dolls Games such as Parcheesi Games of Checkers, etc. Ping-pong Bean bag Ring Toss Tiddlywinks Card games Marble games
V. Artistic Development, Arts and Crafts Painting sets Weaving sets Sewing sets Modeling Clay Bead Looms Xylophone, drums, etc. Pot holders Linoleum block print Wood flowers over cardboard Tapestry Colonial mats Crepe paper dolls
VI. Educational Stimulation Map puzzles, lotto, or keno Dominoes Blackboard and crayons Counting games
8 June 2004
Puzzle games Puzzle clock Printing sets Desk and chair play Books
VII Scientific and Mechanical Interest Flower lotto game Magnet sets Toy scales Blueprint outfits Erector sets Chemistry sets
VIII Avocational Interest Collector’s books for birds, animals, flowers, shells Buttons, etc. Stamps Albums Suggested list of play material for later childhood Girls – 10-13; Boys – 10 to 14
I. Physical Development and Skill Tool chest Boxing gloves Baseball, bats, gloves Bicycles Tennis outfit 10-hi games Throwing games Tops Indoor golf Punching bag Skates Skis Hockey sticks
II. Develop Creative Play Aeroplane construction kit Birdhouses to construct Picture puzzles Carpenter’s bench Advanced erector
III. Develop Dramatic and Imitative Play Puppets and marionettes
9 June 2004
Shadow play theater Dolls and material to sew Trains Boats Doll houses Character costumes
IV. Social Development Character dolls Dolls of all nations Card games Board games Shuffleboard games
V. Artistic Development Modeling clay Weaving looms Doll sewing outfits Kodaks Soap carving Water-color sets
VI. Educational Stimulation Map puzzles Travel games, etc. Addition games Globes Typewriter Anagrams Printing press
VII. Develop Scientific and Mechanical Interest Electric questioner Boast and boat building sets Hike meter Microscope sets Tool chest Magnifying glass Telegraph sets Telephone sets Telephone sets with batteries Lithograph sets Magic sets Sets to construct models Electric train outfits.
10 June 2004
VIII. Avocational Interest Butterfly collector’s supplies Boy and girl scout equipment Stamp collections Cameras Coin collections, etc. Collector’s books for flowers, trees, birds, etc.
Suggested list of play materials for early adolescence: Girls – 13 to 16; Boys – 14 to 17
I. Develop Physical Strength and Skill Tennis racquets Archery sets Deck tennis Soccer Horseshoes and quoits Baseball equipment Badminton sets Football equipment Target games
II. Creative Play Jigsaw puzzles Workbench and tools Complicated construction sets Architectural sets
III. Develop Dramatic and Imitative Play Puppets and marionettes Marionette theaters Costumes Camp equipment Scouting
IV. Artistic Development Wood carving materials Pastels paint sets Equipment for tooling leather Oil paint sets Materials for sculpture Equipment for metal crafts
V. Educational Stimulation Micro craft sets Airplane construction sets
11 June 2004
Chemistry sets Compass Power plant models Transformers Electric motors Electroplating sets Field glasses Telescopes Star maps
VI. Avocational Interest Fishing outfits Golf sets Motion picture machines Archeology collections Marionette theater Coin collections Radio sets Gardening tools Radio construction sets Mineralogy collections
Toys for children with defective vision Pegboards Modeling clay Blocks Raised letter blocks Counting frame Toy animals Felt-o-grams Scrapbooks Jacks and ball Beanbag Weaving Lock blocks Dolls Trains Boats Automobiles Nest of cubes Large beads to string Easel and large crayons Hammer and nail set Picture puzzles Housekeeping toys Construction paper
12 June 2004
Paper dolls
Toys for children with spastic paralysis Pegboards Picture puzzles Nest of cubes Screw boats Weaving sets Noah’s ark Farm sets Village sets Finger plays Trains Boats Automobiles Beanbags Lock blocks Cutouts Archery sets Dolls to dress Paper dolls Modeling clay Hobbies
Toys to encourage leg and foot movements Kiddie cars Tricycles Jungle gyms Walking boards Little ladders Push and pull toys Wagons Wheelbarrows Pedal automobiles
For children with defective hearing, hobbies and special interests hold a very important place. For those with defective hearing the constructive, creative toys can be used to stimulate knowledge, and develop strength and skill.
Toys for children with defective hearing Picture puzzles Felt-o-grams Cut outs Paints and crayons Paper dolls Blocks of any kind Beads to string Construction sets Lincoln logs Erector sets Building sets Checkers
13 June 2004
Tool sets Chess Hammer and nail sets Hobbies Other special interests, etc. Music
It has long been accepted that music has much psychologic value and should have a very definite place in any occupational therapy program.
14