Learning through play is a term used in education and psychology to describe how a child can learn to make sense of the world around them. Through play children can develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments.Human growth and the development of personality, Jack Kahn, S usan Elinor Wright, Pergamon Press,
Key ways that young children learn include playing, being with other people, being active, exploring and new experiences, talking to themselves, communication with others, meeting physical and mental challenges, being shown how to do new things, practicing and repeating skills and having fun.Learning, playing and interacting. Good practice in early years foundation stages . Page 9
Definitions of work and play
Play enables children to make sense of their world, as children possess a natural curiosity to explore and play acts as a medium to do so.
Definitions of play
In Einstein Never Used FlashCards five elements of children's play are outlined Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Rodale, Inc.,
Play must be pleasurable and enjoyable. Play must have no extrinsic goals. Play is spontaneous and voluntary. Play involves active engagement. Play involves an element of make-believe.
Additionally, play is characterized by Creativity and Imagination. Creativity is evident in role play, construction activities, and other forms of imaginative play. Imagination allows children to create mental images related to their feelings, thoughts, and ideas, which they then incorporate into their play.Bruce, T. (2011). Learning Through Play: For Babies, Toddlers and Young Children (2nd ed). London: Hodder Education.
Researchers Beverlie Dietze and Diane Kashin in Playing and Learning seven common characteristics of play include:Playing and Learning, Beverlie Dietze, Diane Kashin, page 46,Pearson Prentice Hall,
Play is active. Play is child-initiated. Play is process-oriented. Play is intrinsic. Play is episodic. Play is rule-governed. Play is symbolic.
Contrasted with Work
There are important distinctions between play and work in the context of children's activities. Play is generally a self-directed activity chosen by the child and is centered around exploration and enjoyment. In contrast, work typically involves structured tasks with specific goals and outcomes.Wiltz & Fein, 2006 as cited in Playing and Learning, Beverlie Dietze, Diane Kashin,2011, page 3,Pearson Prentice Hall,
According to researchers, Dietze and Kashin, play is characterized by internal control, the ability to adapt or create new realities, and intrinsic motivation. When adults impose specific objectives on an activity and label it as play, it can blur the line between play and work. For example, using flash cards to help a child memorize information may be more closely associated with work due to its structured nature and goal orientation.Bergen, 2009 as cited in Playing and Learning, Beverlie Dietze, Diane Kashin,2011, page 5,Pearson Prentice Hall,
Understanding the distinction between play and work can have implications for child development. While structured activities can provide learning opportunities, play fosters creativity, problem-solving, and autonomy. Educators and parents mindful of these differences can create environments that support children's holistic development.
Play offers an opportunity for children to build new knowledge from previous experiences.Isenberg and Quisenberry, 2002 as sited in Thinking It Through: Teaching and Learning in the Kindergarten Classroom Playing is Learning, page 12, Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, 2010 Researchers have differentiated between work and play in various ways:
Primary Activities: a child's action is work if it adds immediate value to the family unit, even if the culture perceives the action as play. Parental Perspective: Parents from different cultures have varying views on what constitutes work or play in children's actions. For instance, a Mayan mother may see her daughter setting up a fruit stand as play, while many Western cultures might view it as work if the child successfully sells the fruit. Child's Perspective: Children may have different perceptions of play and work compared to adults, which can influence how they engage in and interpret various activities.
Classical, modern and contemporary perspectives
There are three main groups of play theories:
Classical Theories
Classical theorists such as Jean Jacques Rousseau, Fredrich Froebel, and John Dewey had a significant impact on changing societal views of childhood. They emphasized the importance of play in children's learning and development. These theorists promoted children's learning experiences through direct interaction with nature and life.Moore, D., Edwards, S., Cutter-Mackenzie, A., Boyd, W. (2014). Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education. In: Young Children's Play and Environmental Education in Early Childhood Education. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03740-0_2
Classical theories of play also include concepts such as burning off excess energy, recreation and relaxation, replenishing energy after hard work, practicing future roles, and recapitulation theory. Herbert Spencer proposed that play allows humans to expend excess energy not required for survival.
Modern Theories
Modern theories focus on play's role in cognitive development. Jean Piaget emphasized how children construct knowledge through play-based stages of development, which has influenced many early childhood education programs. Fredrich Froebel's idea of play as 'serious work' aligns with modern perspectives on play's educational value.
Modern perspectives also examine play's impact on a child's development. For example, Dietze and Kashin view the learner as an active constructor of meaning.Katzeff, 2003 as cited in Playing and Learning, Beverlie Dietze, Diane Kashin,2011, page 36,Pearson Prentice Hall,
Contemporary Theories
Contemporary theories emphasize the role of social and cultural contexts in children's learning and development. Rousseau's work on children's rights and the need for protection due to their innocence is an aspect of contemporary perspectives. Dewey's view of the child as an active agent in learning also aligns with contemporary theories that focus on empowering children through play.
Contemporary theories address the relationship between play, diversity, and social justice in daily life and learning. Children learn through their daily living experiences and are influenced by various contexts such as family, community, culture, and broader society. Lev Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development suggests that children need activities that support past learning while encouraging new challenges. Social engagement and collaboration with others can transform children's thinking. Urie Bronfenbrenner highlights the impact of the person-environment relationship on child development (Khuluqo 2016, Bodrova & Leong 2015).
Cultural Perspectives
Cross-Cultural Perspectives
While play has been studied extensively in Western cultures, including by Susan Isaacs in the first half of the 20th century, experts like Gunilla Dahlberg and Fleer challenge the universality of Western perspectives on play. Fleer's work with Australian Aboriginal children suggests that not all cultures emphasize play in the same way.Bruce, T (2001) Learning through play:Babies, Toddlers and the Foundation Years. London: Hodder Education. p7. Different cultures and communities have distinct ways of encouraging play. For instance, some may discourage adult involvement in play or expect children to play in mixed age groups away from adults.Bruce, T. (2001). Helping Young Children Through Play: Babies, Toddlers and the Foundation Years. London: Hodder Education Additionally, some cultures may expect children to outgrow play by a certain age.
The Yucatec Maya culture offers a unique approach to play and learning, emphasizing reality-based activities and observation.
Learning through Play
Yucatec Maya children engage in play that is closely tied to real-life activities such as making tortillas, weaving, and cleaning clothing. They often learn through "Intent Community Participation," which involves observation and participation in community activities. Unlike children in many Western cultures, Yucatec Maya children do not engage in extensive pretend play, as it is considered akin to lying because it involves representing something that isn't real". For example, a Mayan mother told an ethnographer that she would "tolerate" her child pretending that the leaves in a bowl were a form of food. Instead, their play mirrors everyday life.
Age Groups and Interaction
Yucatec Maya children play and interact with individuals of all ages, rather than focusing on age-segregated play typical in some Western cultures. This approach helps them model adult behaviors and explore realistic representations of their culture.
Observational Learning
Observation plays a crucial role in Yucatec Maya children's learning process. They actively participate by observing and modeling useful activities within the community. Accordingly," It is inherently integrated into the daily activities of the compound."
Importance Play is sufficiently important to the UN that it has recognized it as a specific right for all children.“Fact Sheet: A Summary of the Rights Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child”, Article 31, http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf , accessed February 11, 2010 Children need the freedom to explore and play. Play also contributes to brain development. Play enables developmental in the prefrontal cortex of mammals, including humans. Evidence from neuroscience shows that the early years of a child's development (from birth to age six) set the basis for learning, behavior and health throughout life. A child's neural pathways are influenced in their development through the exploration, thinking, problem-solving and language expression which occur during play episodes.Playing and Learning, Beverlie Dietze, Diane Kashin,2011,Pearson Prentice Hall, According to the Canadian Council on Learning, "Play nourishes every aspect of children's development – it forms the foundation of intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills necessary for success in school and in life. Play 'paves the way for learning'”.Canadian Council on Learning (Early Childhood Learning Knowledge Centre), “Let the Children Play: Nature's Answer to Early Learning”, Lessons in Learning (Ottawa: CCL, 2006), p. 2
Learning occurs when children play with blocks, paint a picture or play make-believe. During play children try new things, solve problems, invent, create, test ideas and explore. Children need unstructured, creative playtime; in other words, children need time to learn through their play. The level of emotional arousal enacted during play is ideal for consolidation and integration of neural pathways. Allowing the child to direct the play means allowing the child to find the place most comfortable, allowing the promotion of neuroplasticity. Children engaged in self-directed play can create their own schemas allowing the integration of affect and cognition. Play also promotes neuroplasticity development by allowing children to co-construct wordless narratives of self-awareness and transformation.