Play is Not a Simple Act!

Play, is it the frivolous work of childhood?
If we consider Bob Hughes' (play theorist and activist) "Taxonomy of Play Types" in which he outlines 16 types of  play, we can only marvel at its true complexity:

social, socio-dramatic (refers to play involving acting out scripts, scenes, and characters), rough-and-tumble, exploratory, object, creative, communication, deep, recapitulative ( reflecting on actions and giving new form and meaning), symbolic, fantasy, dramatic, imaginative, loco-motor, mastery and role play.

How many of these do children engage in during the course of a day ?

What is the role of the teacher in this complex process? 

Teachers must be keen observers. This does not imply that they should sit idly by waiting for play to happen. They must be master facilitators who make play ( thoughtfully planned, rich in context) possible. This type of teacher nurtures mastery in play. She also understands that environment must support

spontaneous play, initiated by children, so they may construct their own knowledge, test theories through trial and error, engage in discourse, respect opinions, and change the course of their actions for new results.