Play Theory

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The Play Cycle - An Introduction to Psycholudics

Perry Else and Gordon Sturrock

'Playwork - you mean you get paid for playing with children?'

Presented as a series of short illustrated magazine articles, this CD-Rom provides essential and accessible underpinning knowledge (particularly those undertaking Level 3 in Playwork) and those that support them. The Play Cycle will also be of interest to anybody who wants to be able to describe the importance of play in their professional roles.

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The Playworker's Taxonomy of Play Types

Bob Hughes

This updated manual categorises play into its 16 different parts, currently known as 'play types'. It looks at what the scientific literature has said about each one, it adds comments from experienced playworkers, it gives practical examples of children engaging in different play types, like creative, deep, mastery and so on, suggests things to look for when attempting to identify different play types and presents the reader with practical suggestions of things they can do to make it possible for children to engage in different play types.

An essential 'original source' for anybody studying play and playwork and those who want to more about how children play in their settings.

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Play Clips 1 - Understanding Play Types

Philip Waters

Unique video/DVD (approx 60 minutes) which contains 48 sequences of footage of children's play in a variety of situations. Each type is illustrated by 3 different sequences of children playing in a variety of environments. The sequences cover all sixteen play types (as originally identified by Bob Hughes in his 'Taxonomy of Play Types'), edited and produced into an accessible and flexible audio-visual toolkit for anybody wanting to promote children's play. Although produced with the trainer in mind, Play Clips One can be used for and by anyone who has an interest in children's, including parent meetings, conferences, training workshops and promotional events.

Guidance notes also available on CD-Rom to guide and support discussion work.

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Play Clips 1 Notes

Philip Waters

Published on CD-Rom, the set of notes gives background information on each play clip and also links the visual images to play theory.

Invaluable for trainers who want to use the play clips to guide and inform discussion work.

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Therapeutic Playwork Reader One

Gordon Sturrock and Perry Else

Limited special offer on our largest publications - 50% off until we've made a bit more room in our office!

Key reading for anybody teaching or studying play or playwork, this book is a source text which shows the development of work up to and beyond the 'The Colorado Paper', which introduced psycholudics to a wider audience. Therapeutic Playwork Reader - One shows how key terms were introduced such as; play cues, play returns, play frames, ludic ecology, the metalude, play drive, dysplay, play adulteration, playwork interventions.

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Several Perspectives on Children's Play

Edited by Tom Jambor and Jan Van Gils

Scientific Reflections for Practitioners

Play research, theory and practice from academics and practitioners from around the world - including Bob Hughes, James E. Johnson, Waltraut Hartmann, Maritta Hannikainen and many more:

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