Written by Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Early Years Alliance.
This month sees two important events that remind us (as if we need reminding), of the power and importance of play for children’s development and wellbeing.
This year, 11 June has been named as the inaugural International Day of Play by the United Nations General Assembly. The aim is to recognise play globally as a child’s fundamental right:
“It builds resilience, instils confidence, and helps children develop. But children need time to play. That’s where we need policies, training, and funding to get play integrated into education and community settings.
Play heals through learning, life skills and psychosocial wellbeing. That’s why there must be investment into diverse, inclusive, and safe play spaces, extending access to all, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised children.”
There are so many reasons we should all be celebrating the power of play. The Alliance's National Week of Play 2024 also falls in June, with a focus on savouring those magic early moments and celebrating a child's right to just be, without the pressure to become.
With these two important celebrations of play in our sights, it’s an ideal opportunity to think about play more globally. In our increasingly diverse society, educators should continually seek to understand how cultural differences highlight the diverse ways in which societies understand and integrate play into children’s daily lives, shaping their development and experiences.
Making it magic in early years
The Early Years Foundation Stage describes how educators must take reasonable steps to provide for children for whom English is an additional language and to explore their skills in their home language with families’. It could be suggested that educators should be equally concerned with recognising how a child’s cultural background influences how they play, and their families’ expectations of early years education.
The Early Years Foundations Stage also reinforces the importance of play in early childhood development, as essential for developing cognitive, social, and emotional skills, preparing children for school, and preparing them for life in a technologically expanding world.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe behaviours of engagement, motivation and thinking that children use to learn. Foremost is playing and exploring, children are ‘finding out and exploring, playing with what they know, and being willing and having a go’ as educators who help them to build their learning over time.
Imagine, then, a child whose experiences of play have differed because of their cultural background. Suddenly, they may find themselves in an early years environment that places a different emphasis on learning. This doesn’t mean that they’re at a disadvantage because of their prior experiences; the opposite should be true if we value what they and their family bring to the setting.
Enriched opportunities can be tapped into as children learn to respect and value diversity through the magic of play. It’s not about ‘changing’ how a child plays, but recognising an innate capacity for play that evolves as they are introduced to new experiences. The role of the educator is to recognise that the child who appears to be withdrawn or playing in ways that may be considered inappropriate, just needs time, understanding and support before they can benefit from and contribute to a ‘playful’ curriculum in our settings.
Working in partnership
Partnership with families is vital for reflecting the home play-and-learning environment in the early years setting. It also helps enable the setting’s pedagogy and curriculum to be clearly communicated to a child’s family. Share ideas and make links to the learning that playful moments encompass. Find out about games that children play with their families and within their communities. Invite families in to play and learn alongside the children. According to LEGO’s Play Well Study 2024, on average, three in five children would like to play more than they do now, while four in five children would like to play more with their parents or caregiver. The research also shows that eight in ten children say adults don't always think playing is important and seven in ten don’t believe adults take play seriously.
Finally, however and wherever you are celebrating this June, make sure that play really is “bustin’ out all over”. Take every opportunity to delight in play its many forms, the children will show you how. Whether you are celebrating internationally or unlocking those magic moments with the Alliance, it all counts.