The document summarizes a workshop on the pleasure of motor play and developing given at the University of Applied Sciences Koblenz. The workshop was led by Gil Pla, PhD, a lecturer from the University of Vic in Barcelona. The workshop consisted of three parts: 1) discussing types of motor play seen in a video, 2) discussing the importance of affectivity and intervention during play, and 3) closing discussions and feedback. The workshop emphasized allowing children freedom during play while also providing structure, safety, and respect for developing all domains of being.

1. Workshop: The pleasure of motor playing
and developing (Room A264)
University of Applied Sciences Koblenz
International Week, Faculty of Social Sciences
October 22nd 2013
Gil Pla, Ph.D. aka @gildevic
Lecturer at University of Vic, Barcelona
Physical Education Research Group
Faculty of Education, Translation and Human Sciences

2. The pictures appearing in these slides are taken from
http://morguefile.com/ with this authoring license or taken from my
own and from Núria Franc with children rights within.

3. By Mantasmagorical, http://morguefile.com
Personal website: http://about.me/gildevic
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/gildevic
E-mail : gil.pla@uvic.cat
Twitter: @gildevic
LinkedIn

4. 1st part:
Motor play
Contents:
By Ladyheart, http://morguefile.com
• The motor play
• Game types

5. Video
(while watching it you can pay attention to the children games, the kind
of activities they do, the intensity of their activity, the way the adults act
around them, the pleasure shown,...)

6. #1. Group discussion about:
• What did the children in this situation?
• What show us the children playing in this video?
• Which was the significance/importance of these situations in their
development?
•…
Result: “the keywords of playing and developing by motor playing”

7. #2. Group discussion about:
• Which games have you seen in the video?
• Could you organize/categorize them in groups?
• Which being domains are involved in every kind of situations?
•…
Result: “keywords mind map of every type of motor play”

8. ...maternal games
Photo by Núria Franc

9. …pre-symbolic games

10. Photo by Núria Franc
…construction games

11. ...sensorymotor games

12. …symbolic games

13. ...symbolic games (histories, roles,..)

14. 2nd part:
Intervention
Contents:
• Affectivity on the game
• Intervention

15. Let’s move/play
(as long as the game-rules were respected and while playing be free to
act, be free to feel, be free to enjoy,...)

16. #1. Peer discussion about:
• What kind of feelings have I felt playing/moving?
• How the others had make me feel something or change my behaviour during
the activity?
Result: “self-understanding and children-movement-understanding”

17. The biggest/strongest part of the intervention is not
explicitly shown or usually is hidden
By Gabrielrochette, http://morguefile.com
The intervention as an iceberg...

18. The biggest/strongest part of the intervention is not
explicitly shown or usually is hidden
By Gabrielrochette, http://morguefile.com
The intervention as an iceberg...

19. The intervention must lead
into...
emocionally
Safety and secure
environment
physically

20. …then
If
Human being as a unity
In a real/global/deeper
expression of every single child
is respected
Body/movement intervention
Global development in all
being domains (cognitive,
emotional, social & physical)
This goal, during the motor
play, can be achieved

21. 3rd part:
Closing
Discussion, feedback, farewell
By click, http://morguefile.com

22. Intervention goals (Franc, 2004):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Become an interlocutor of the child.
Provide emotional respect and recognition.
Collect and evolve the children game productions.
Give sense and content to the children game.
Promote the manifestation of the intrapsychological reality.
Encourage psychological maturation.
Promote the passage from the act [movement] to the thought.

23. What to DO:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Provide enough time, space and materials to children. Encourage children to
explore nature and environment around them through play.
Let the children feel the emotions through their play and give symbolic
sense to understand these feelings.
Give freedom to the children to use the materials as they like, but set limits
to the freedom when it comes to respecting other’s freedom.
Talk to children respecting, recognizing and supporting the game.
Encourage group activities such as role/symbolic play, history developing, …
Include disadvantaged and differently abled children in play.
Continually builds on, challenges and extends children’s experiences.
Provide safe, challenging, inclusive and enjoyable experiences that are.
Take your time in watching and analyzing in order to interpret what the
children do during play.
Accept what the children do as an expression of their own identity.

24. What NOT to DO:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Don’t impose adult standards or decisions on children.
Don’t make them conscious of their play materials by constantly reminding
them e.g. to keep the crayons new and keeping the block unbroken etc.
Don’t put undue restrictions and rigid rules when children play, lack of
freedom and rigidity hampers creativity, originality and be their selves.
Don’t enforce stereotype gender perspective i.e. girls can’t play with ball and
bat and boys can’t play with dolls.
Don’t express negative attitudes to children’s work by calling it a waste.
Don’t use the same monotonous phrases and tone while praising children’s
work.
Don’t compare children’s games, knowledge or attitudes.

25. Ma: „Mom, I
reach an „A“ in
geometrics!!“
Mo: „Congrats!
smuuuuack!!“
G: „I congratulate
you, ruinyhomes!!“

26. „Forbidden to
step on grass“
L: „Damn the desire
that I had to step on
grass, but it makes me
sick of being told of
what I know what I
shouldn´t do!“

27. G: „Hoop“
M: „Forget
hoop and go
away, I´m
busy“
G: „Yeah, hoop
done“

28. Felipe: „Mit den Begriffen
Verdauungstrakt oder
Verdauungsapparat (lat.:
Apparatus digestorius) werden
die Organe zusammengefasst,
die der Aufnahme, der
Zerkleinerung und dem
Weitertransport der Nahrung
dienen, um diese letztlich zu
verdauen und die darin
enthaltenen Nährstoffe für den
Körper verwertbar zu machen.
Weitere Synonyme für den
Verdauungstrakt sind Canalis
alimentarius und Systema
digestivum...
Teacher: „Well
done Felipe, I
see you have
studied, you
can go to your
seat“

29. Thanks you for your attention.