On the Coast – Families Issue 103 I December 19/January 20 | Page 32

R E A DY S T E A DY G O K I D S What’s better... structured or free play? S tructured play vs. free play! Somewhere along your parenting journey you’ll come across these two words and begin to wonder which is more valuable than the other. At Ready Steady Go we value them both and that’s why you’ll notice an element of each within a Ready Steady Go session. Structured play, or “play with a purpose,” is any activity that offers your child a specific learning objective, for example in a Ready Steady Go setting the goal would be to learn to throw a ball. Structured play activities and games that 32 ON T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES are generally instructor-led where the instructor sets the tone for the play. While an activity is ‘structured’ it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not fun. At Ready Steady Go you’ll see ‘structured play’ in a variety of the gross motor skills being learnt. And as a parent, you can feel confident your little one is slowly acquiring those skills, while still having fun. Free play, on the other hand, centres on non-structure where kids are free to let their imaginations and creativity run wild as they enjoy the moment they’re in. Children are naturally motivated to play. That’s why you’ll see fun elements during a Ready Steady Go session that targets this component of ‘free play’. Not only is your little one discovering and developing through play, but when they’re having fun, they’re more likely to create positive associations with that activity and want to do it over and over again. You’ll see this kind of ‘free play’ at a Ready Steady Go session when the instructor throws all the balls in the air and the kids have to scamper off to get it, or when the instructors are playfully chasing the kids, or during any of the