PARTNERS IN PLAY: A Step-by-Step Guide to Imaginative Play in Children

by Dorothy G. & Jerome L. Singer Singer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 21, 1977

Drawing on the much-admired work of Sutton-Smith, Smilansky, and other experts on child play, psychologists Singer and Singer enumerate ways of enlarging the imaginations of young children (ages two to five), primarily through encouragement and access to materials. Although theirs is a relatively structured presentation, their step-by-step suggestions are not lockstep instructions but reasonable guidelines; after introduction by an adult, children can take off and develop these ideas without further intervention. For some activities, such as finger painting, a simple demonstration will suffice; for others, such as a puppet show, more preparation is required but once completed the benefits are cumulative. While easily enacted in a middle-class home, these explorations--of sensory experiences, poetry and music, sociodramatic play, fantasy--are even more appropriate in small play groups or nursery school sessions, where the presence of other children will enliven conducted tours of the premises, playing grocery store, or acting out books like Caps for Sale. A commendable partnership.

Pub Date: Sept. 21, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION