Cross-area play By Ms. Richa Sinha

Cross-area play is an idea where children are given the freedom to experiment with materials and toys in open-ended ways. Such play can transform into elaborate, complex plots and encourage development across multiple domains. Cross-area play helps children make unusual and unexpected connections, which promotes creativity, critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving. It encourages development across multiple domains such as thinking, creation, communication, and collaboration. It fosters confidence and helps children set and follow rules in their play with others. It creates more fluid, engaging classroom spaces.

When children engage in cross-area play, their play is not scripted.

 The following illustration explains cross-play - “All aboard the dinosaur train!” calls 5-year-old Vanika. Vanika and her friends begin to work on an elaborate project. Together, they pull materials from various areas and pile them on the middle of the carpet. They took books from the reading center, plates and cups from dramatic play, paper from the art table, dinosaurs from the science center, and magnet tiles from the block area. The children explain that the books are iPads and TVs for the dinosaurs. They use paper to make signs and tickets for all the train passengers. The plates are the roof of the train, and the cups become tables around which the dinosaurs are neatly placed.

Does Cross-Play create chaos? No, Cross-Play encourages creativity, not chaos. Cross-Play provides flexibility and flexibility encourages creativity.