Findings
In this section two play activities are analysed. The first activity (Excerpts 1–3) concerns packing away building blocks some of the children (incl. Edvin) and a teacher have been playing with. The second activity (Excerpts 4–7) is a play activity involving Edvin and Aksel. The analysis highlights what activities evolve with and in relation to the artefacts and what socialisation takes place in these.
It is time to pack away the play material the children have been playing with together (1a). The teacher’s phys- ical actions, packing away the blocks, and explanations of what is done with these, through encouraging and praising the children packing the blocks away, mediates the frame of the participation: what is expected of the children and, therefore, how to participate in the activity at that moment.
Edvin notices that the other children and the teacher are doing something with the toys, the building blocks (1a). He starts to play with the blocks, breaking down what the others have been built and dropping blocks to the floor (1b). He does not seem to notice that the others are doing the opposite to what they usually do with the blocks, that is, taking them out of the shelf and building something. The teacher notices Edvin’s actions (1c) and directs him by saying: Edvin, will you too pack the blocks away for me, please? and by continuing to praise the other children’s actions: That’s the way! she mediates the activity and the expectations by using Edvin’s second language. She uses explicit, directed actions to address Edvin when mention- ing him by name, and implicitly through directing the group. The other children do not show that they notice that Edvin’s actions are contrary to their own. They continue to put the blocks away, as the teacher encourages them to do (1c).
Edvin now changes his actions (1d–g). He picks up a block and holds it for a while before putting it down on the floor (1d). He repeats his action by picking up another block but also stepping on a block on the floor, next to the ones another child is picking up (1e). Edvin’s actions, picking up blocks lying of the floor, are partly similar to what the others are doing (1d–e). He then engages in making a pile of blocks on the floor (1f). He notices a child
who is carrying some blocks and tries to take one of them
(1g).
The teacher addresses Edvin’s actions with the blocks for the second time (1h). She implicitly communicates what she expects him to do by explaining what the others are doing with the blocks: Edvin, Edvin we are packing away the blocks. Instead of showing that he notices that he is expected to pack away the blocks, Edvin notices that taking others’ blocks is not accepted and he lets go of these. He takes out blocks from the shelf, which are the blocks nobody is holding. Thus, he continues expressing his wish and idea of what to do with the blocks when piling them.