As someone who has a degree in Early Childhood Education I guess I naturally take an interest in these topics, enough that it held MY attention to read several articles. It certainly interests me more now with my own baby, plus I ended up teaching elementary school- not working with infants/toddlers. So although I feel that perhaps I should already know how to do all of this, I am a bit rusty, and I must give myself grace. Plus, as a teacher, I am an advocate of "Life Long Learning". :)
The article below is from: http://www.regardingbaby.org/2011/11/02/what-is-play/
Play (exploring) is everything your baby does. She does it naturally. Before she even plays with toys, she is “playing” and learning when she looks at her hands, or kicks her feet. She is experimenting, and learning how her body works. Everything is so new to a baby, and so everything is an experiment to try to find out how things work. She uses all of her senses when she plays. When she begins to pick up toys and taste them, bang them, drop them, and retrieve them, she is playing. When she responds to your words by babbling, smiling, cooing, or she makes raspberries to get your attention, she is playing. As she moves, or plays with sounds, or drops and retrieves a toy, she is learning. She might repeat actions over and over with little differences.
You don’t have to hand her toys or show her what do to. You just have to provide a safe space for her to explore, and include simple objects, like balls, cups, spoons, dolls, empty containers, blocks, scarfs- toys that do nothing, so your baby can be active in discovering and creating her own understanding of the world. The very first play object we offer a baby in parent/infant classes is a cotton scarf, which we place in a peak, where a baby laying on her back can see it, and reach for it when she’s ready.This scarf is a staple of the play room from the time babies are about four months old, until they”graduate” from class at two years old. The babies use the scarfs in a variety of different ways as they grow. As your child moves from infancy into young toddlerhood, you can add a few more objects or elements (but choose wisely) to the play area, or vary the toys to provide different opportunities for her to explore. Sand, water, climbing toys, push and pull toys, empty boxes, and (once she’s well past putting things into her mouth) play dough are some suggestions.
You don’t have to do anything but trust, watch, and enjoy. Watch to see what she’s interested in, what she does with the play objects you’re providing. Watch to see how her understanding of the world and the people in it changes and grows. Soon you will see her begin to initiate and engage in play with other children. At first, she will begin to notice other children more and more, and try to make contact, maybe by touching, or taking or exchanging toys, then progress to playing peek-a-boo, or chase. At some point, you’ll notice she starts to engage in pretend play- pretending to “talk” on the phone, or drink from a cup, or pat her baby to sleep. As her understanding of her world and the people and things in it grows, so does her play become ever more complex, and sophisticated.
You offer the greatest gift when you allow your child to play her way, with you as a witness to her discoveries: This is what Magda Gerber called “wants nothing” time: “Most of us are used to, and conditioned to, doing something. “Wants nothing” time is different, more a time for taking in and waiting. We fully accept the infant’s beingness just by our own receptive beingness.” We also allow, encourage and protect a baby’s natural ability to experience joy in learning and creation, while she builds her self confidence, and attention span-and more. These are the “bonuses” of self directed, or free play.Other interesting articles:
http://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/08/the-secrets-of-infant-learning/
http://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/10/better-toys-for-busy-babies/
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