PEA#2: Play Categories
Observe (at least an hour) an early childhood setting or other setting (such as a park or playground) where children are at free play. Look for examples of each of Parten’s six play categories as described in the Beginnings and Beyond text. Write a two pages paper where you describe what the children are doing and which of the six play categories is represented in the children’s play. At the end of your paper, reflect on what you learned from this experience. Be sure to follow the guidelines below when writing your paper. (If you are not able to observe due to parks and daycares being closed, please use the videos attached to help with this assignment. Adapt an answer each part to the best of your ability. If you use a different video, make sure to include the link in your paper.)

• Briefly describe the location and the ages of the children
• Make sure to describe what the children are doing, and which play category best fits what the children are doing.
• Refer to the children by initials only or pretend names (or as “two girls” or “a group of three-year-old boys”
• Be sure to refer to each of the six play categories by name.
• At the end of your paper, if you do not see one of the six categories of play in your observation, define that type of play and what it might have looked like.
• Your paper should be written as a formal college paper with a beginning (introduction), middle (body or development) and end (conclusion).
• Use 12-point font, black type, double space and appropriate paragraph indentation in your paper.
• The introduction should include where and when the observation took place and who you were observing.
• The body of your paper should be objective (no opinions or value statements) and describe what you observed.
• The conclusion should summarize the paper (and can include your opinion or a reflection of the observation.) The conclusion should also include a description of any play categories you did not observe.
• Proofread for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and overall clarity before submitting.