Sunday, 14 February 2021

Play- Ximena Study Award- Teacher Only Day


Some of the Urges that spontaneously expressed through babies’ and children’s Play 

Some of our human play urges are shared with other mammals because the structure of mammals’ brains requires mammalian play to develop the neurological structures needed for survival. The less stable neocortical structure of humans (sometimes referred to as ‘the great thinking brain’) depends on two things to ‘stabilise’ in an individual - nurture and play. The genetically programmed play urges (schema) are Nature’s way of seeing the neurological structures are developed for survival and transcendence. 

The question for those of us who work with children is what do we have in their environment that will enable them to follow their genetically encoded promptings and play out their play urges? And is there enough of each thing? Two pinecones will not cut it, half a barrel of pinecones will. One wheelbarrow or trolley is a recipe for conflict, half a dozen means there will be ‘Transport Companies’ evolve at your place.

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