Ludemos

“a playful community”

the home of therapeutic playwork

Sales

The Value of Play pp167  Perry Else

“The Value of Play is an inspiring overview of play for students and practitioners who work – or wish to work – with children. It draws on a range of theories and covers the history of writing and thinking about play, as well as setting the social policy context. Perry Else also gives lively examples and discussion points which make it a useful educational resource. In short, the book makes a valuable contribution to the development of reflective practice, not only for playworkers but for other professionals in children’s care and education.” Pat Petrie, Professor of Education, Institute of Education, University of London, November 2008

The Value of Play is explained using the Integral Play Framework, a model that draws together differing views on the purpose of play and its various types. These ideas are then used as the basis for chapters of the book: showing why playing is valuable to our bodies, our minds, and culturally and socially.

There are examples of how play can be supported both informally and formally, at home and in children’s settings. As well as theory, there are relevant, practical approaches for play activities, and observations of playing children to help explain the processes. Key questions are asked at times to help those who may be engaged in a more reflective form of practice.

The Value of Play has been written to be accessible by a broad spectrum of readers, including all those training to work with children; those specifically engaged in playwork as a field in itself; and those on Childhood Studies programmes.

Available from: http://www.continuumbooks.com/

Therapeutic Playwork Reader one 1995-2000 pp143  Gordon Sturrock and Perry Else

In this collection of papers, we show the development of our work up to and beyond the ‘The Colorado Paper’, which introduced psycholudics to a wider audience. The paper reflects our experiences in forming our concepts about psycholudics, the study of the mind and psyche at play. The paper states that the play of itself is a therapeutic process for those playing and that play is of fundamental importance to human development and not just diversion from ‘more important’ activities.

This paper first brought into the public arena the following key terms: – play cues, play returns, play frames, ludic ecology, the metalude, play drive or ludido, playwork containment, dysplay, play adulteration, playwork authenticity, playwork interventions.

More than anything else the Colorado Paper demonstrated that authoritative work regarding the relationship between playwork and the phenomenon of play could be written by and for playworkers without reference or apology to other more established disciplines.*

The papers included are:

• The Sacred and the Profane
• A Diet of Worms
• SPICE – a redundant metaphor: towards a more extensive definition
• Play is Peace
• Managing personal behaviour – a view of reflective playwork
• Child X as a case history
• The Survival Self – An analysis of the effects of survival in a sectarian environment
• Constrained to be free – aspirations and realities in playwork
• ‘The Colorado Paper’ – The playground as therapeutic space: playwork as healing
• Practical applications of the psycholudic model for playwork
• The Impossible Science of the Unique Being
• Seeing the whole picture – playwork content in the playwork curriculum
• A new way of seeing
• A wonder full profession

* Conway, Hughes, Sturrock (March 2004), A Personal List of Events, Review of the Values and Assumptions, PlayWales 2004

Available from: http://www.commonthreads.org.uk/

Therapeutic Playwork Reader two 2000-2005 pp107 Gordon Sturrock and Perry Else

In this second collection of papers, we show the development of our work up to 2005. The collection includes ‘The Birmingham Paper’ Towards Ludogogy, on which we collaborated with Wendy Russell. The perspective developed is ludocentric (playcentred), as the playing of the child is at the heart of the application, and the attendant adult acts in service of this playing.

The papers included are:

Widening Horizons – Play Cues and the Play Cycle Adventure playgrounds; a perfect frame for play

• North of the Future – Reverie, Imagination and Fantasy as a Ludic Ecology
• The Ludic Third
• The Beauty of Play – An Attempt at an Aesthetic Definition of Play and Playwork
• Play: A beautiful intelligence
• Towards Ludogogy: Parts I, II and III The art of being and becoming through play
• The Unnatural Art of Playwork: BRAWGS continuum

Available as PDF file or Bound Report from: Ludemos for £10 plus P&P

The Play Cycle – an introduction to psycholudics CD-Rom Perry Else and Gordon Sturrock

• Can you spot a play cue?
• Do you know whether you’ve ever interrupted children’s play flow or not?
• Does annihilation worry you? And should it!

Presented as a series of short illustrated magazine articles, this CD-Rom provides essential and accessible underpinning knowledge (particularly for 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.

Available from: http://www.commonthreads.org.uk/

 Back to Top