Learning library Topics Learning through play Importance of Play

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Importance of play

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two boys climbing a tree
Article
What is open-ended play?
If you’re concerned about whether open-ended play still has a place in our children's busy lives, consider this: it’s an approach that can be applied anywhere, and the benefits will last them a lifetime.
kids and rabbit
Article
The power of a smile
It is not enough for children to be cared for, they must fundamentally know that they are cared for. They can only do this through the evidence of their five senses...
Loose parts banner
Article
Loose parts for children with diverse abilities
Create inclusive and equitable loose parts play opportunities.
young boy playing with blocks and a toy truck
Article
The importance of play for learning
Childhood is a time for, well, childhood! It’s not a preparation for school or adulthood. It’s a time for allowing children to go at their own pace, giving them the time they need to explore, manipulate, discover, and practise newly…
Two children are building bark boats
Article
The role of the early years teacher as a facilitator of learning
What are we doing to give children access to quality learning experiences, ensuring that they make stage-appropriate steps while allowing them freedom to inquire, explore, experiment and feel the true exhilaration of learning?
boy holding flowers for teacher to smell
Article
Play it forward
The kinds of traditional play that children have done naturally for generations is still at the foundation of the work that we do, and need to do, with children. We have the wisdom of the sages through the ages, but we also have the wisdom…
messy play with outlast blocks, four children playing
Article
The effects of play on children’s mental health
Free play and decision-making are important for a child’s development. If a child has no time to act on their own inspirations, they lose a sense of agency and the child’s ability to self-regulate may not develop naturally.
boy climbing on outlast block structure
Article
Play – a right of childhood
Throughout the world there is a growing concern that children are being exposed to a range of cultural pressures that may be damaging to their long-term health and wellbeing. How can we ensure we are promoting the form of adult life that…
Three children playing with unit blocks
Article
Play through the eyes of the child
The importance of viewing play from the child’s perspective
Toddler playing with villagers
Article
Understanding and encouraging toddler play
Children's play tells family members and early childhood teachers so much about development.
Three nursery aged boys building with unit blocks
Training resource
Foundations
Instructive video illustrating the value of block play. Perfect for staff development.
A nursery teacher plays with a baby in a cot.
Training resource
What happens in the baby room?
A baby’s whole being is reaching out to connect, to learn. Who of us could learn a complicated language from scratch, after first figuring out that sounds coming from people are different from other sounds?