It's never "just play".
Play. Such a wonderful word, yet often so misunderstood, or wrongly taken for being frivolous, carefree and only to be done when the hard work is over. For the untrained eye it can be difficult to accept the idea of how important play is in the context of a child’s development, learning and academics.
Yet play is especially essential when it comes to its role in children’s development and learning, particularly in their early years of growth. Educators continue to have to advocate for a more balanced “play diet” as it is often undervalued as an essential element to children’s holistic development. Play is certainly not frivolous. It is the real work of childhood and supports many areas of a child’s development.
Let’s remember also, that play is recognized by the United Nations as one of the Rights of the Child (Article 31) due to its holistic nature and contributions to cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills. In 2024 an International Day of Play was established to uphold its fundamental importance to a child’s happiness, physical and mental health development. Therefore, play should not just be considered an optional extra for children.
What are some of the benefits of play?
Understanding the world around us begins from the moment we are born. What is the key factor in developing this understanding? Play. Before we can even use language to communicate it is play that supports young children to build connection and create social links.
For example, think of a very young child exploring and making sense of the world with their whole body. Something as simple as a baby noticing their hands and feet, or an adult playing a game of peek a boo with them. This is essentially just playing, yet there is so much more happening beneath the surface of this easy observation. A baby becoming aware of their feet is the development of gross motor skills, (which is considered a Prime Area within the EYFS curriculum), as the child controls their leg movements. Play is a natural instinct where vital skills and emotions are expressed and processed.
But it should not and does not stop there. Play continues to support the development of skills that can be carried through life in work, relationships and education. Due to the multidimensional aspects of play it allows for children to learn at their own pace whilst revealing itself in many different forms. For example, creative play, imaginative play, block play, physical play, games with rules, to name a few. All of which constantly evolve alongside a child’s age and developmental progression. For example, a young child might be observed playing alone exploring cause and effect in block play, whereas when they are older play involves greater communication, problem solving and risk taking often in collaborative pairs or groups. Skills which are required for everyday life, when interwoven in play are barely noticeable or appreciated. The Poem ‘Just Playing’ by Anita Wadley sums up perfectly how all these explorations and investigations are expressions of learning and development and highlights the timelessness of play.
Why is play important now, more than ever?
Throughout their day children need time to discover, explore and investigate through unscheduled, open-ended time in play both indoors and outdoors. In our ever-changing world, with increased technology, busier overscheduled lifestyles and considerably more time spent indoors, play has become even more essential to a child’s life. The effects of the pandemic lifestyle are only now becoming apparent in children’s development, as essential skills and opportunities for collaboration, problem solving and communication through active play was lost. Many adults would probably agree that their own wellbeing suffered during that time. Play provides children with a safe space to work through their feelings and emotions, expressing subjects they might not fully understand yet. It provides the perfect tool for stress relief, supporting the development of healthy social and emotional skills in children. It is therefore essential that now, more than ever, we protect time for children to play.
How is play incorporated into the Early Years at BISC-LP?
In the Early Years at BISC-LP time in the play-based environment is supported and scaffolded by adults using open-ended questions or enhancements within resources, books and materials. The arrangement of the classroom and resourcing are thoughtfully planned for to ensure that daily play becomes exploratory and full of inquiry, while providing our learners with the necessary challenge and open-ended opportunities for creativity, risk taking, and advancement of their developmental skills. Shelves and baskets of resources are labeled enabling the children to independently self-select activities and tools to enhance their lines of inquiry. Families and cultures are represented within stories, topics and roleplay within our classrooms, and collaboration is promoted through opportunities for communication and shared problem-solving tasks. Our teams of teachers take the layout of the children’s environment seriously allowing for the conditions for learning through play to flourish and the children to thrive.
Play is an inaugural part of the day here at BISC-LP. To the untrained eye the learning taking place and the development of skills, masked by play is phenomenal. For example, the roleplay area might include opportunities for mark making and application of phonics through the simple addition of shopping lists or notebooks. The jugs in the water tray allow for communication and language development of comparative Math vocabulary relating to measure and capacity. Or for our younger learners, this could be gaining control of their gross motor movements by simply exploring pouring and transferring. You might look to the construction area and see pictures of buildings from around the world to capture the children’s sense of creativity as they build their own structures and models and learn to take risks with their designs. Or a simple card game of pairs might be laid out, supporting cognitive and memory development. Of course, we must not forget the value of play continues outside of the ‘regular’ classroom walls with greater opportunities for Physical Development skills to further enhance a child’s coordination, strength and agility. This might be captured through parachute play, building obstacle courses or learning to pedal a bike.
How can you support play at home?
The next time you are in an Early Years classroom or with a young child, take time to marvel at all the hidden skills being learned, taught, developed and achieved just through their engagement in play. Notice how through play, learning is still occurring. Reflect on the complex and valuable depth of development happening as children are playing. Ask yourself are they really ‘just playing’ or are they being effective communicators, risk takers, problem solvers and developing resilience? Is play just something we should do when the ‘real’ work is finished? Perhaps even consider making time to play for yourself too.
Go ahead, have some fun playing.
Jennifer Partington
Reception Leader and Teacher
In our latest teacher blog, Lucy Selles, Year 1 Leader and Teacher shares steps parents can take towards raising a respectful and responsible child.
.png?h=788&iar=0&w=940&rev=4f5ae57cceb44ab3a3b17a6ab9f6b911&hash=DBAAF1ACE100566F3B7FA8E282D46745)
.png?h=788&iar=0&w=940&rev=0c7be167e9214116bf384884b7a68c65&hash=675E800207F19CEE7955C3DC8108EA8E)
