In 2nd Grade students will be given the opportunity over the course of the day to play. Play is divided into three different categories (free play, directed free play and structured free play).
Free play is uninterested play time which happens with peers. This is the time which students will be allowed to explore, discover and imagine. During this time, students will be able to independently choose the activities they would like to participate in. Free play allows students to be creative problems solvers, work on making decisions with peers and to grow sufficiently. Free play occurs during explore time in the classroom and during recess.
Directed free play is when little guidance in placed on a students play. During this time an adult can steer children in the right direction but it does not inhibit or dictate what the student chooses to do. Directed free play is a great way for adults to gently guide students in making choices and helping them expand beyond their normal play routine. Directed free play occurs during Project Block and sometimes during explore in the classroom.
Structured play is when activities are prescribed to a student with a set outcome as the objective. Structured play focuses on students working on teamwork, leadership, classroom community and classroom expectations. Structure played occurs during academic times such as math intervention and word work.
(Information cited from pages 254 and 255 in A Moving Child is a Learning Child by Gill Connell and Cheryl McCarthy)
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