How do children actually learn through play?
We’ve all heard that children learn through play. It sounds straightforward enough that most of us never really consider what it actually means for a child to learn through play.
For starters, if a child is playing does that mean they’re learning? Well, yes, technically. But not all play is created equal. In fact, there are so many different types of play that children can engage in - at different ages - and each type has its own specific learning outcomes for young children. Understanding what play is is crucial to understanding why play is such a beneficial learning source for children. We know that meaningful play increases brain function in children by creating new neural pathways and connections - but what does this look like?
Play can be physical or still, play can be quiet or loud, play can allow for deep concentration or raucous excitement. Play is spontaneous, flexible and responsive and is different for each child and each age group. Simply put, play is a child engaging in an activity whilst having fun. They are motivated and able to concentrate longer than they would on other tasks, and they are typically the driving force. Children won’t play if they’re not interested.
You’ll notice that children undergo phases in their play. These stages usually correspond with age, and happen in the same order. Different theorists have different names for the stages of play, but the order comes down to:
Sensory and exploratory play: toddlers touch, mouth, throw objects. They engage in trial and error, and repetition of similar actions.
Constructive and imaginative play: young children create and build, with art, toys or natural materials. They begin to construct imagined worlds, which they can also share with others, for dolls and figurines.
Dramatic play: children embody characters and roles, socially or by themselves. Dress-ups and props facilitate this play but are not essential.
Structured play with rules: children learn an instrument, or how to play complex strategy games like Chess, or physical sports like basketball.
Despite the different types of play, children of varied age groups can engage with the same toys and materials and get meaningful play from them. A toddler and a preschooler can play with the same blocks, but the learning that is taking place looks different and has a different purpose. A toddler will pick up a block and maybe put it in their mouth, bang it on the floor, or attempt to connect it with another block. Toddlers are often playing to familiarise themselves with new objects and to see how those objects interact with each other, whilst also developing their motor control, and strength.
If you look at a four year old with the same blocks you will likely see them plan a building, and then start working on that building. Let’s say it’s a tower. They will aim to build a tower as tall as they can, and when it falls over they will start again, using the knowledge they have gained from the first attempt to plan for the next. They are repeating and problem solving, two key learning styles, while having fun playing with blocks.
Fundamentally, play appeals to children’s innate sense of curiosity – and a lot of skills that come about from this are foundational cognitive skills. Foundational skills such as problem solving, experimenting and hypothesising, researching and inquiry. Not only this, but while children are developing these skills they’re also building creativity, persistence, and a sense of capability. This is all supported by the fact that play takes away the pressure that children can often feel when put on the spot - in play, children will take risks and attempt actions that they wouldn’t otherwise.
This isn’t all to say that play is the only way that children learn. Think of play as a platform that allows children to work through their ideas, skills and conceptual understanding based on their experiences and knowledge base. Learning to write the letters of their name is not play in and of itself, but when they have drawn an artwork and need to label it, it becomes part of their play. Not only that, but the hand strength, coordination and understanding that images symbolise meaning are the underpinning tenets of literacy, the category under which name writing falls. Another example, out of the thousands to choose from, is counting. Counting is not play, but in play children will stop to count the number of beads they have or determine how many more they need (which is also looking at quantity and estimations!). However, both of these examples require children to be able to recognise the letters and have the correct number words. Play is the space in which children can learn these things - through songs, board games, puzzles, art - but you also want to make sure that you are including literacy and numeracy in your day to day conversations and activities as well. The more experiences, language and conceptual understanding that children have, the more complex their play becomes.There are many simple ways that you as a parent or educator can facilitate learning through play, which can be discussed in greater detail in another post.
It all sounds too good to be true – but it really isn’t. However, there is a catch. Children are learning all these things through meaningful play. Meaningful play is play that is based on the child’s interests, that the child is fully motivated to be involved in, that is interactive and most importantly that is fun. So with that in mind, feel relieved knowing that when your child is building a fort, making a mess or dressing up in all of your clothes that you are setting them up for a better future.
Some follow up reading for those wanting the nitty gritty details:
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058#sec-2