The importance of learning through play in early years

Learning through play eyfs

The importance of learning through play in early years, and the EYFS.

In this video, we are going to go over why learning through play is so important and how you can encourage it with your children or in your setting.

Play is an essential aspect of early years learning, and it is through play that children develop vital skills and knowledge. In the UK, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is basically the document which governs how childcare is provided,  recognizes the importance of play in early years learning, and it makes learning through play an integral part of the curriculum.

This video will explore the significance of play in the early years, and how it contributes to the overall learning and development of children.

The importance of play in early years learning cannot be overstated.

In the EYFS nurseries and other childcare settings Practitioners are encouraged to provide children with opportunities to play in a variety of ways, both structured and unstructured, and to allow children to learn at their own pace, and in their own unique way.

Play provides children with a wealth of opportunities to learn and grow in a fun and engaging way. Children learn best through their own experiences, and play provides them with the perfect platform to explore, experiment and learn in a safe and supportive environment.

Through play, children can develop their creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills. They can experiment with different materials, objects, and ideas, and learn from their successes and failures. This type of learning allows children to make connections between their experiences and the world around them, and to develop a deeper understanding of how things work.

Play also helps children to develop their social skills, such as sharing, turn-taking, and cooperation, and to develop their emotional skills, such as empathy, self-awareness, and resilience. When children play together, they learn to work together and negotiate their own roles within the play activity. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging and a positive self-image.

It helps children to develop their communication and language skills, and to develop their understanding of the world around them. Through play, children learn to use language to express their thoughts and ideas, and to engage in conversation with others. They learn to understand and interpret the world around them through their play experiences.

This is why learning through play is so important, in fact in a study in Jamaica, poor toddlers with stunted growth were visited once a week for an hour by trained health workers, who engaged in learning through play and worked with their mothers to support and encourage this play. Twenty years later, the programme is shown to have benefitted the participants and reduced inequality in later life. They did better in school, had better social skills and were less likely to commit crimes. Their income was also an average of 25% higher than children who did not get the learning through play intervention.

So, what can we do to support learning through play?

It’s important to recognise the crucial role that play has in early childhood development. Support for play must be built into early childhood development programmes.

Babies and young children love to play with anything from their fingers and toes, to their toys, as well as with sounds and with adults and children. When young children play they learn at the same time, so play is a very important way for children to learn. If you watch very young children playing you will notice that they don’t always need other children or adults because they are quite happy playing alone, provided they can see and hear others near by.

Therefore we don’t actively need to be involved in their play to support them.

We can do so by creating a safe and stimulating environment.

Some ways you can do this is by providing opportnites for children to:

• look at interesting things such as birds, animals, plants, trees, mobiles, shells, stones, boxes, tubes, mirrors
• listen to a range of sounds such as songs, rhymes, jingles, stories, music
• touch a variety of objects – hard, soft, bumpy, smooth, rough, cold, warm
• taste a range of flavours such as those in fruit, milk, vegetables, bread
• investigate things that open, close, float, sink, twist, turn
• explore objects such as large boxes, things that make noises, things that move
• experiment with water, sand, clay, dough, paint, glue, felt pens
• play for uninterrupted periods of time, alone or alongside others, with help from adults, and in their own way
• talk to other children and adults and to have their efforts rewarded

As children get older we simply continue to provide high-quality experiences for them.  Which links in with cultural capital, which I covered in a previous video.

As an adult we can create opportunities for children to extend their learning for example by setting up a shopping centre or shop activity for your children to access.

Children can then learn new vocabulary, explore simple math’s by buying things, learn about different job roles and engage in pretend play.

 Such a playful approach to learning builds on children’s interests and responds to their ideas for play and also allows scope for structured activities to teach specific skills and knowledge.  Which has shown to boost engagement in learning and create more active learning.

This is why learning through play is so important and that’s some ways you can support your children.

Thank you for watching, I hope you have gained some knowledge in order to better support your children.  If you’ve liked the video make sure you hit that like button and if you want to receive more videos teaching you how to open, grow or run your childcare business then make sure you subscribe.

Good luck and I’ll see you on the next video.

God bless.