Children are naturally drawn to play. Whether they are building with blocks, creating imaginary worlds, or engaging in physical activities, play is an essential part of their development.
As they play, they actively learn and grow. Play sparks connections between neurons in the brain, contributing significantly to children’s cognitive development. This is why play-based learning has emerged as a powerful approach in early childhood education, harnessing the benefits of play to enrich children.
At One World International School (OWIS), we believe that play-based learning is the cornerstone of holistic development in early childhood. As such, we’ve designed our early childhood programmes to provide a rich and stimulating environment where children can learn through play.
What is Play-Based Learning?
Play-based learning is an educational approach that intentionally uses play to facilitate learning and development. Unlike unstructured free play, this approach is about creating a structured and purposeful environment where play is used as a tool for achieving specific learning goals.
Here are some of the core principles of play-based learning:
- Active engagement: Children are active participants in their learning, rather than passive recipients of information.
- Meaningful experiences: Play-based learning activities are designed to be relevant and engaging to children’s interests and developmental needs.
- Social interaction: Play often involves interaction with peers, fostering social skills, cooperation, and communication.
- Exploration and discovery: Children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and discover new things through play.
Educators play a crucial role in facilitating play-based learning, from carefully designing activities to creating a supportive learning environment for children. They observe children’s play, identify learning opportunities, and gently guide them towards achieving their learning goals.
Characteristics of Play: Understanding the Elements of Engaging Play
Beyond a pastime, play can be a dynamic and engaging process that captures children’s imaginations and fuels their desire to learn. Some of the characteristics that make play engaging include:
- Intrinsic motivation: Children engage in play simply for the joy of it. They are driven by their own curiosity and desire to explore, not by external rewards or pressures.
- Active engagement: Play is an active process that requires children to be physically and mentally involved.
- Meaningfulness: Playful activities provide opportunities for children to make sense of the world around them and express themselves creatively.
- Social interaction: Through interaction with peers, play allows children to develop social skills, learn to cooperate, and negotiate different perspectives.
Collectively, these characteristics create a powerful learning experience that fosters holistic development in children. These elements of play are also evident in the hands-on, engaging play-based learning activities at OWIS, where children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and discover in a stimulating environment.
Benefits of Play-Based Learning
Play-based learning impacts children’s development across various domains. Its benefits equip them with essential skills that are valuable for their early years and lay the foundation for future success in school and beyond.
Cognitive Development
Play-based learning is a powerful catalyst for cognitive development in young children. As they explore, experiment, and make sense of the world around them, they develop essential cognitive skills:
- Problem-solving: Through play, children encounter challenges and obstacles that require them to think critically and find solutions. For example, building a tower with blocks encourages them to experiment with different shapes and sizes to create a stable structure.
- Critical thinking: Play encourages children to analyse, evaluate, and make decisions. For instance, engaging in pretend play scenarios, like running a store, requires them to think about roles, rules, and consequences.
- Creativity: By providing a safe and stimulating space to express creativity and imagination, activities like drawing and painting allow them to explore different ideas and express themselves.
Social-Emotional Development
On top of cognitive growth, play-based learning plays a crucial role in nurturing preschoolers’ social-emotional development. It provides a natural setting for them to:
- Learn how to communicate: Play encourages children to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings with others. For example, during pretend play, they engage in conversations, negotiate roles, and express their needs and desires.
- Practise cooperation: Group play activities require children to work together towards a common goal, fostering cooperation and teamwork skills. Building a fort together, for instance, involves sharing ideas, negotiating roles, and collaborating to achieve a shared vision.
- Empathise with peers: As they play, children learn to step into others’ shoes and understand different perspectives, fostering empathy and compassion. For example, role-playing scenarios allow them to imagine and understand the feelings of others.
Physical Development
Furthermore, play-based learning provides ample opportunities for children to reap the advantages of physical education. Through active play, children hone essential physical skills that contribute to their overall well-being and coordination:
- Fine motor skills: Activities like drawing, painting, and manipulating small objects help children train their fine motor skills, improving their hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
- Gross motor skills: Running, jumping, climbing, and engaging in outdoor play activities help children develop their gross motor skills, enhancing their strength, balance, and coordination. These activities also promote a healthy lifestyle.
Creating a Play-Based Learning Environment at Home
Play-based learning doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom – parents can easily incorporate it at home for children to continue to learn through play.
Here are some practical tips for fostering play-based learning in your home:
- Provide open-ended materials: Offer toys and everyday objects that can be used in multiple ways to encourage creativity and exploration. Blocks, art supplies, household items, and construction sets are some examples.
- Create a designated play space: Set aside a dedicated area for play where children feel comfortable and free to explore their imaginations.
- Encourage exploration and experimentation: Allow children the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, and discover new things through play.
- Observe and interact: Pay attention to your child’s play and look for opportunities to engage with them, ask questions, and extend their learning.
- Limit screen time: Encourage active play and limit screen time to ensure that children have ample opportunities for hands-on, creative play.
Unlocking a World of Learning Through Play
Play-based learning is much more than just fun and games. It’s a powerful approach that unlocks a world of learning for young children, nurturing their creativity, curiosity, and love of discovery. By embracing the power of play, we can provide children with the foundation they need to thrive in school and beyond.
At OWIS, we believe in the transformative power of play-based learning. For example, our IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) incorporates it to foster a holistic learning environment where children aged three to 11 years old can develop their cognitive, social-emotional, and physical skills.
Additionally, our international preschool provides a nurturing and stimulating environment where children can learn through play and inquiry, setting them on the path to becoming independent, lifelong learners.
Embrace the power of play today! Contact us to schedule a campus tour and find out how we can bring the joy of learning to your child’s education.
