There is light at the end of the TUNNEL. This week has started off very productive for me. 

I needed to make up for all the time lost during last week where all the focus was on the funeral and death in the family.... This week we pick up the pieces and move on... Mommies progress depends on this degree. 

Now this weeks topic of play is one that is close to my heart as mom and as a Foundation teacher. Those that know my teaching methods understand why a good balance of hard work and play time is essential for the little ones. There is so much benefits to constructive play.

Going through the elements on a deeper level I got to learn more on the importance of play. 

• Play involves a state of mind and disposition
• Play contains elements of surprise and challenge
• Play involves a process, attitude, and structure
• Play is voluntary and unifying, forming part of the socialising process
• Play involves aesthetic quality judgement by participants
• Play creates informal space for socio-historical comment
• Play reinforces societal roles

These elements of play are something I should have on the wall in my class. They summarised very well the importance of play daily for my learners. They are so valuable. The little ones learn so much during play and one form of play I always include in my teaching is group work. For example if we are learning about shapes. At the end of the lesson there must be a fun practical we can do practically and a song to sing about those shapes and dance which I normally find on go noodle or starfall or youtube. There is lots of fun dancing and learning apps you can use if you have a smart board. 

There are alot of ways to include play in a lesson or in class. You can either add a group work task at the end of the lesson where they go do the task practically, they can do a fun activity on the smart board, they can dance and they can do board games, they can do clapping and concerntration games. In between lessons you can also add games which are inclusive and not too traditional so all the learners can take part as it boosts their confidence. 

I enjoyed reading your post Ms Mbali. Very informal and interesting. Well done.