The Role of Play in Childcare: Learning Through Fun and Games

The NSW Department of Education recognises that “Children are naturally curious about the world around them” and “come to understand the world and their place in it through play”. This idea is at the heart of the play-based learning method and how it is incorporated into childcare centres under the Early Learning Years Framework in Australia. 

Likewise, at Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centres, there is a focus on play-based learning and an understanding of how it can effectively support a child’s cognitive, social and physical development. In this blog, we’ll go through the role of play in childhood education and provide some real-life examples from our centres that explore how children can learn through fun and games.

What is play-based learning? 

Before we get started, let’s look at play-based learning in more detail. The dictionary defines play as an “activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children”. It defines learning as “the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught”. Therefore, play-based learning is the act of gaining knowledge through activities that are engaging and fun. This style of learning is acknowledged as a key practice in the Early Learning Years Framework, which promotes “positive dispositions towards learning” early in a child’s development. 

At Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centres, learning through play is an essential element of our curriculum. As we establish in our ‘100 Different Languages’ philosophy — play is one of many languages that children can use to express themselves. Along with this, we believe that fun is an incredibly important aspect of your child’s learning process, as it makes learning more accessible, memorable and enjoyable. To complement this learning, we design projects around engaging concepts and allow children to use their imaginations to complete them. 

Now that we have a better understanding of what it is, let’s look more closely at how play-based learning can improve different areas of your child’s development.

Cognitive and problem-solving skills

Infant and toddler’s brains are inundated with brain cell connections. By stimulating their minds with an activity that is fun and engaging, these neural pathways are strengthened, assisting in early brain development. Play gives children the opportunity to explore, experiment and question the world around them. It’s dynamic, encouraging children to interact with their learning on a personal level. 

At Reggio Emilia, we work with our children to co-construct the curriculum by recognising their interests and collaborating on engaging projects together. During this process, the children build their cognitive and problem-solving skills, using play as a main element to facilitate their learning. One recent example of this from one of our centres is a scavenger hunt activity, where children were challenged to find various Australian animals hidden around the centre, and then identify them with educators. This experience was not only fun and stimulating for the children but also a great way to make their learning more effective, as they are more likely to remember the names of the animals they found when they’re associated with play.  

Creativity and divergent thinking 

Studies show that young children are boundlessly creative and possess advanced divergent thinking skills. This allows them to find creative solutions to a huge variety of problems with ease. Play-based learning encourages such thinking and helps children develop their creativity from an early age. As well as being especially helpful throughout their schooling and tertiary education, divergent thinking is also a useful tool and valuable skill for a huge range of careers later in life. 

Creativity and divergent thinking are encouraged every day at Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centres. Focusing on creating a dynamic and interactive environment, which we refer to as the ‘Third Educator’, we present children with all the tools and inspiration they need to explore their creativity and learn through play. A recent example of this from one of our centres came during a rainy day when the scheduled outdoor play was not possible. Inside, the children used relevant toys to roleplay as doctors. Through this activity, they were able to learn more about body parts and healing our bodies. While simple, this example shows just how capable children are of being creative, and how vital it is to build this capability in preparation for primary school and beyond. 

Social competency and empathy 

Another important aspect of play-based learning is how effective it can be in fostering social competency. Early childhood is a vital stage in developing empathy and communication skills. When children find it difficult to relate to others from a young age, it can make the transition into big school a lot harder. Play-based learning provides a safe and supportive space in which children can connect with their classmates and become great communicators. Engaging in early play has also been linked to self-regulation skills — as the child becomes familiar with playing with other children and is more confidently able to persist through challenging activities. 

Now let’s talk about peek-a-boo. A common activity incorporated into the Reggio Emilia curriculum, peek-a-boo is actually an amazing opportunity for your child to learn. For toddlers especially, it creates a sense of self-awareness, but beyond that, children can practice saying their friends’ and educators’ names and engage in trusting and playful bonds. Though it may seem obvious to any adult watching on, to a child, activities like this also demonstrate object permanence — the idea that people and objects can exist even when we can’t see them.    

Physical health and motor skills

Along with the myriad of cognitive and social benefits play-based learning provides, this education method can also improve gross motor skills, strength, endurance and overall physical health. Play-based learning that engages the body and muscles is essential to the physical well-being of growing children.

At Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centres, we not only emphasise the importance of physical activity but also ensure the children get plenty of outdoor play throughout the day. Children are capable of learning as they build fundamental physical abilities. An example of this is blowing bubbles. A crowd favourite at Reggio Emilia — bubble-blowing activities help children develop language skills and hand-eye coordination simultaneously. The act of blowing develops muscles in the mouth and they also get to practice placing their bubble wand back into the liquid. We also encourage children to experiment and take direction in their learning. For example, during a recent music activity, while some of the children played drums and xylophones, some of the other children found scarves and chose to dance with them instead. 

As demonstrated above, play-based learning is incredibly beneficial in early education and instrumental in our approach at Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centres. By incorporating creativity, communication and fun into our activities, we’re ensuring your child’s education is engaging and their perception of learning is positive. To find out more about play-based learning and how we incorporate it at our centres, feel free to reach out to us on 02 9891 2222 or via email at mail@reggioemilia.com.au.