The importance of play

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw

Play is important business. Play is where your child gets to explore using their imagination, interact with other children, objects, their environment, and to try out new skills with motivation. Their focus and concentration gets honed, their muscles get toned, and practice becomes muscle memory. Play is where the real learning takes place.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the period of 0-5 years where the foundations for all future learning and growth are laid down. Just as a child’s body is not designed to stay still at this age, their mind is not designed for the rigidity of formal teaching. They have to learn by experiencing, by questioning, by exploring. At this age, a child has such a wonderful natural curiosity that takes them across the entire map of development – physical development, communication and language, personal social and emotional.

By following the meanderings of a child’s intent to play, all other strands of learning can be woven in – mathematics (Which rock is bigger? Which is heavier? What shape are these leaves? What colour are those flowers?), literacy (Tell me all about what you have just found. Ahh, that is called a [name the thing]. Let’s find a book about [your interest].), understanding the world (the seasons, gravity, interactions with other people, shopping), expressive arts and design (drawing a picture, dancing to music, talking about feelings, putting on a play).