Play Activities .1 Introduction

the number of participants, but will also help children observe the rules of fair play and avoid unnecessary disputes.

5.3 Play Activities

emphasise the provision of opportunities to master, through personal experiences, the basics of physical development, e.g. balance, co-ordination, suppleness, elasticity and endurance, etc.. These activities will also help children understand the concepts of distance, weight, speed, rhythm, height, safety at heights, grasping and holding articles, etc.. Various kinds of gross motor activities will help to stimulate the development of children’s height, weight, bones, muscles and co-ordination. The activities can also enhance the functions of the respiratory, circulation, digestive and nerve system of children.

In addition, these activities, to a certain extent, can give vent to children’s emotions so that the objective in developing in them a healthy body and mind can be achieved. Provision of a stimulating environment would also help to promote the development of their sensory and language abilities.

Fine motor activities refer to the activities which would improve the dexterity and power of co-ordination of children’s hands (including fingers, palm and wrist), such as playing with toys on the table or on the floor (e.g., various kinds of construction toys, puzzles, hand-puppets and small toy blocks), art and craft activities using various kinds of materials (e.g., painting, printing, craft work using recycled material, paper craft work, plasticine and playdough), playing with sand and water, singing by finger rhymes, etc.. Fine motor activities can stimulate children’s eye-hand co-ordination so as to help them master skills required in their everyday life and provide them with opportunities to learn about the forms and characteristics of

encouraged to cultivate the habits of thinking, acting and concentrating while playing, as well as to develop their creative and thinking abilities while enjoying the fun of these activities.

1. Objectives

a. To help children develop their fine and gross motor skill.

b. To enhance children’s basic motor skills required in daily life and help them develop agility.

c. To help children build a good physique and cultivate their love for physical activities so that they will have a balanced development in their body and mind, and become healthy and happy children.

d. To cultivate children’s will-power, develop their leadership skill, boost their confidence and encourage them to express their feelings, as well as to control their emotions.

2. Guidelines for Implementation

a. While the rate of physiological and psychological development is different for each child, the development of physical abilities for all children is progressive and follows a set pattern. For instance, children learn to sit before they can stand, and walk before they run. It is also easier for them to control their large muscles than their small muscles. The pre-primary educator should, therefore, pay attention to the physical development of each individual child and understand the

b. Flexibility should be exercised when designing the scope of activities and factors such as time, season and venue (indoor and outdoor) should be duly considered. Space in the surroundings and outdoor areas should be fully utilised to allow children to engage in physical activities.

c. Equipment chosen should be suitable for different physical activities so as to increase variation and fun. Some of the equipment should be made accessible to children.

d. The pre-primary educator should pay attention to safety measures. For example, equipment should be checked regularly, a safe venue should be chosen and sufficient routine training should be provided. While activities are in progress, the pre-primary educator should pay attention to the surroundings and the abilities of children, and be alert at all times and ready to take any necessary action to ensure safety.

e. The pre-primary educator should allocate time to develop children’s gross motor skills every day. Before physical activities, children should be guided to warm up and to stretch their limbs and joints, so that their bodies can be adapted to more vigorous actions later. Before coming to a halt, they should be given some relaxing exercises to slow down gradually.

f. Simple demonstrations are much more effective than long and tedious explanations, but rules concerning the activities and points to be noted must be explained clearly. The

practise. Children should be encouraged to take part in the activities on their own initiative instead of being forced to do so.

g. The pre-primary educator should pay attention to children’s health. If children are found to be unsuited for physical activities, they should be allowed to rest.

h. Children should be given ample opportunities to learn how to get along with others and to comply with social norms in a natural atmosphere. The pre-primary educator should guide children incidentally on how to get along with others in harmony. Physical competition or comparison of performance should not be emphasised.

i. When children are participating in activities to develop their fine motor skills, they need a quiet and spacious environment.

They should also have an adequate variety of safe materials to allow them to use their creative and thinking abilities. The activities should be fun and allow children to obtain satisfaction from participating.

j. Equipment should be placed within the reach of children, with obvious indications on its use and procedure in restoring them back in order. Restoring things back in order after play activities provides an opportunity for children to develop their sense of responsibility and learn good habits. This practical activity should be regarded as an effective way to learn.

k. Toys and materials for play activities should be checked regularly, cleaned and replenished frequently to ensure they are safe, clean and sufficient in quantity.

3. Scope of Activities

a. Gross motor activities

There are many kinds and modes of gross motor activities which can generally be divided into the following two types : i. movements that do not require equipment, including such

actions as walking, running, rotating, crawling, rolling, bending and stretching, jumping, going through, balancing, getting up and down stairs, etc..

ii. movements that require equipment, including movements that require large equipment such as tricycles, climbing frames, balance beams, slides, tyres and swinging boats, etc., and also those that require small equipment such as toy blocks, bean bags, balls, ropes and hula hoops can also be used.

Moreover, the pre-primary educator may change the mode of physical play slightly to add more fun, for example :

l imitative physical play : the pre-primary educator may design various kinds of imitative actions by using simple music or rhythm to enable children to engage in various kinds of basic movements like walking, running and jumping rhythmically and systematically.

l sequenced physical play : use such facilities as balance

children to do various kinds of jumping, going through and climbing movements in sequences. By so doing, all parts of the child’s body can be activated.

b. Fine motor activities

Fine motor activities can be divided into the following types according to the materials and equipment used :

i. Formal materials/equipment

All sorts of puzzles, beads, hammering-bench, dolls, puppets and music boxes are used. By using these materials/equipment, the steps and objectives would become more obvious, and it is thus easy for children to engage in such activities, which can promote children’s eye-hand co-ordination, memory and concentration. But the variation of these activities is rather limited and would not satisfy the creative needs of older children.

ii. Semi-formal materials/equipment

Materials such as construction toys made up a different kinds of materials can be used. Children may use these materials to build houses, means of transportation, people and animals. Activities can be modified according to children’s imagination. Children’s thinking ability can be promoted in the course of construction. Children can also develop skills of manipulating things. Semi-formal materials, however, have their own specific formats. For

comply with the specified rules before any modifications can be made and children cannot exercise their creativity as freely as in playing with non-formal materials.

iii. Non-formal materials/equipment

These include all materials which are used in art and craft activities, such as colours, materials for craft work using recycled material, cartridge paper, plasticine, playdough, sand, water, materials for carpentry, toy blocks, etc..

While playing, children can choose the materials, create the steps and objectives to express their personal feelings, exercise their imagination and thinking, and express themselves freely.

5.3.3 Music Activities 1. Objectives

Human beings show their ability to appreciate music as early as infancy. When a baby hears melodious sounds, he/she will listen attentively and happily and then respond with innate body movements. The pre-primary educator may help children to develop such potential and interest with appropriate guidance.

For example, as children sing to the music, they can be guided to imitate movements or sounds or those made by animals, or make body movements according to the rhythm, and be encouraged to express themselves or exercise their creativity freely. The pre-primary educator should respect their feelings and praise their

children’s interest in music rather than the training of musical skills.

As a result, children can obtain fun and satisfaction by participating in various music activities. Music activities should be designed in such a way that children can express themselves freely in their own special ways without pressure and acquire knowledge of musical elements such as rhythm, melody, tone and beat, etc..

a. To arouse children’s interest in music and encourage them to enjoy the fun of music activities.

b. To enhance children’s ability to appreciate music.

c. To cultivate children’s auditory perception through recognition of the melodic and rhythmic qualities of sounds, e.g. high and low, strong and weak, fast and slow, etc..

d. To build up children’s confidence in singing and their ability to sing.

e. To teach children to recognise simple percussion instruments and to develop their concentration and co-operation through performance.

f. To encourage self-expression through the use of rhythmic movements in response to music.

g. To enhance the understanding of lyrics through music activities and to encourage self-expression through dramatised songs.

2. Guidelines for Implementation

a. Children should have approximately 30 minutes of music activities daily. The pre-primary educator should adopt an

b. Music activities should be staggered with other “quiet” and

“active” activities. At the beginning and end of the activities, children should be told to do some simple breathing and relaxing exercises. This will enable them to calm down and join in the next activity.

c. The duration of each music activity should be planned flexibly, taking into consideration the interest of children.

d. The activities planned must be targeted to the abilities of children.

e. Every child should be given the opportunity to participate in the music activities and individual attention should be offered if possible.

f. It is not necessary for music activities to be conducted in a music room. The pre-primary educator can make use of a tape-recorder or percussion instruments to hold lessons in the classroom or outdoors.

g. The pre-primary educator should choose suitable teaching materials for music activities and sufficient preparation should be made. For example, the pre-primary educator should be familiar with the tunes and the teaching aids so that they can concentrate on children and react accordingly during the activities.

h. As the main objective of music activities is to encourage self-expression through music, the pre-primary educator should avoid giving too much demonstration or asking

i. It is not necessary for the pre-primary educator to accompany singing with the piano. But if the piano is used, it would be better for the pre-primary educator to play the melody accurately.

j. The pre-primary educator should try her best to demonstrate singing correctly with a gentle and clear tone.

k. Different musical elements, such as rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tone colour, and interval should be introduced through various activities.

l. Children should be motivated to be creative and express themselves freely, for example, adding actions in the form of a singing game or creating new words to the songs they like.

They should also be rewarded for their meaningful efforts.

m. Children’s active participation may be encouraged through dedication of the pre-primary educator.

3. Scope of Activities a. Listening activities

The pre-primary educator may ask children to listen to different sounds from the surrounding environment or to appreciate a certain musical piece through the following approaches :

i. The pre-primary educator should help children cultivate and develop their listening abilities through various activities, e.g. to detect and recognise different sounds and

loud or soft, strong or weak, continuous or static, etc..

ii. The pre-primary educator may record sounds of musical instruments, animals or the natural environment for children to identify and imitate.

iii. The pre-primary educator may ask children to listen carefully and try to identify songs which they know well so as to develop their power of concentration and memory.

iv. The pre-primary educator may select cassette tapes of different types of music and songs (e.g. those suitable for various occasions, those from other cultures, those played with different musical instruments and those belonging to different times), accompanied by related pictures or stories, to introduce various kinds of music to children. This can be followed by discussions to promote children’s interest in and love for music.

v. Music appreciation sessions can also be organised during other activities.

b. Singing

Pre-primary children are still learning to recognise intonation and metre. Hence the pre-primary educator should not expect too much from them in this respect. As long as the pre-primary educator is able to manage within intonation and metre, children will learn them gradually. The pre-primary educator may ask children to do some breathing exercises before singing in order to help them relax and sing more easily.

can hear their own singing. This is also an effective method to prevent them from singing out of tune. Children who are weak in intonation and metre can be seated close to the pre-primary educator so that they can imitate her. Children who do not like music may be invited to clap their hands and stamp their feet according to the rhythm, or play a certain role in a dramatised song. They might be influenced gradually by the joyous atmosphere and would begin to sing along as well.

Children may also be grouped together with one of them being asked to lead the singing by rotation. As a result, children who do not like singing may also join in singing because they have the opportunity to lead the singing.

The pre-primary educator has to take note of the following points in arranging singing activities :

i. Songs with a simple, allegro and repetitive melody are most popular with children. The range of the melody should be between “Middle C” and “High C” and songs with progressive variation are preferred as children may find it hard to manage complicated or fast changing music rang and may easily sing out of tune.

ii. The lyrics chosen should be elegant, simple and related to children’s life experiences. Some songs with actions or imitative sounds are suitable for children between the age of 2 and 3. Children between the age of 4 and 5 can even

pre-primary educator should also pay attention to the matching of the words and the melody to avoid distortions made in the musical notes, meaning of lyrics and beauty of the songs.

iii. When a new song is taught, the pre-primary educator should demonstrate with a gentle and pleasant voice. She may also ask children to clap their hands, stamp their feet or perform other rhythmic movements to familiarise themselves with the rhythm and the tune of the song.

iv. The pre-primary educator may make use of pictures, stories, movements and musical instruments to stimulate children’s imagination about the content of the song.

v. The pre-primary educator should pay attention to children’s volume of singing, and should stress the importance of singing softly and naturally. The duration of singing activities should not be too long.

vi. The pre-primary educator may demonstrate of use a tape-recorder to introduce some melodious songs so as to attract children’s attention and to guide them to sing along.

vii. The pre-primary educator may ask children to sing some familiar songs in groups or individually so as to establish their confidence in singing and help them master the pitch level. Sometimes, the pre-primary educator may record children’s singing on a tape recorder for their own appreciation.

viii. Children may hum familiar or self-created melodies spontaneously while they are playing. Such self-initiated singing should be encouraged.

c. Rhythmic Movement

Rhythmic movements refer to the integration of body and limb movements with the elements of time (fast or slow), space (stretching, bending, big or small), direction (forward or backward, up or down, left or right), force (heavy or light) and emotions (strong or weak, cheerful or sad). Such elements are transformed to rhythmic movements to express one’s feelings or appreciation of music. The pre-primary educator has to pay attention to the following points in conducting rhythmic movements :

i. The selection of movements should be based on the principle that children should be guided to use every part of their body. Undue emphasis on lower limb movements such as walking, running, jumping, stepping, etc. should be avoided. On the other hand, movements of the head, neck, shoulders, chest, stomach, hip and knees, or even fingers and tip toes should be included.

ii. The pre-primary educator may play simple music from the piano or percussion instruments and ask children to follow the rhythm to do different movements, e.g. clap, step, side, walk, walk on tip toes, run, jump, leap, etc., or imitate

iii. In using music from the tape recorder or percussion instruments, the pre-primary educator may encourage children to create movements from imagination. When the music stops suddenly, children may be asked to freeze in certain postures, such as imitating the form of an aeroplane, a rabbit or an old man, etc.. Thus children can be trained to have quick responses.

iv. The pre-primary educator may use stories or nursery rhymes, accompanied by music or songs, as the theme of rhythmic movements, and ask children to play the characters in the stories.

v. The pre-primary educator may make use of familiar limb movements to arrange simple steps for group dances for children. This may enhance children’s sense of rhythm and cultivate their social skills and co-operation.

vi. The pre-primary educator should arrange a spacious room for children to take part in rhythmic movement. Children should preferably take off their coats and put on light shoes to facilitate free movement. Some simple warm-up exercises may help children relax and join in the activities.

vii. The pre-primary educator should agree with children on the rules that they have to observe before the start of the rhythmic activities. Such rules should include observance of the space provided for the activities, signals used for the starting and ending of the activities and

d. Percussion Instruments

Percussion instruments include those with fixed pitch and those without. Simple non-pitched percussion instruments are more suitable for pre-primary children. Such instruments include tambourines, Chinese wood blocks, castanets, jingle bells, cymbals, bass drums, shakers, side drums, temple bells, double bells, etc.. However, chime bars, a pitched instrument, is also suitable for pre-primary children. Percussion instruments which require more skills such as triangles, xylophones and glockenspiel, etc. should be left until the children are mature enough to handle. The pre-primary educator should take note of the following points in conducting activities with percussion instruments :

i. Musical instruments should be introduced to children gradually. The introduction may start with experiencing the sounds which can be produced by their own body movements (e.g. patting different parts of the body, stepping with the tip and sole of their feet, opening and closing their lips to produce loud and weak sounds, etc.).

Next, children may try to produce rhythmic sounds by using common articles such as sheets of paper, chopsticks and bottles. The movements should be in tune with the requirements of the song and rhythm, as well as children’s interests. The names of the instruments and the correct