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# 3 What is playful writing?

To consider what ‘playful writing’ means, it is important to think first about the term ‘play’ and what ideas this conjures up.

## Activity 2 Exploring the term ‘play’

Allow about 10 minutes

Look carefully at Figure 2, which shows three children playing. In your opinion, what makes this a picture of ‘play’? (Hint: you might consider the types of interaction, the materials, the task or the activity.) Note down your thoughts either in the box provided or elsewhere.

Figure 2 Three young children at play
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### Discussion

While anyone looking at this picture will note down slightly different aspects, depending on how they see what is going on, your comments probably fall into some of the following categories:

- The structure of the activity doesn’t seem to be following a set pattern. The children can choose how they respond, with no right or wrong way of doing it.
- There are many choices of materials (plasticine, bricks, balls, pencils, paper, pots, paint).
- The materials are being combined in different ways to make new images.
- The children are exploring the possibilities through touch, sight and possibly through sound, smell and discussion (but you can’t tell that from a photograph).
- It is active – the children are engaging mentally and physically with the objects and their ideas.

You should now see why including the characteristics of play in your forum writing can be a good way of getting involved on forums.

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