Play-based learning is non negotiable.
In Scandinavian countries, children start school at seven years old, which means no formal academic learning till then. Furthermore, Kindergarten in Finland doesn’t focus on preparing children for school academically either. Instead, the main goal is to make sure that children are happy and responsible individuals.
Play, nonetheless, is a serious business, at least for the teachers, because it gives children vital skills in how to learn. In many educational methods, the environment is utilised as the third teacher allowing children to explore the resources independently and grow holistically, in regards of emotionally, socially and academically. Organised play aids ‘soft skills’ such as attention, perseverance, concentration, creativity and problem solving. Research shows that by the age of four, these are the strongest predictors of academic success rather than the age at which a child learns to read.
Play-based learning seems like a no brainer. It enriches educational development which encourages children to inherit their own style to express themselves and should be seen as an active attribute in and out of the classroom. It provides opportunities for children to participant in imaginatively engage with people, objects and the environment. Children will often play with experiences they are interested in or familiar to them, for example, shops. With over a decade in the education system, I have seen at least hundreds of children play shops. So, what exact outcomes are the result of playing shop?
- Encourages role-play activities
Role-play encourages children to see situations from different perspectives and empathy. It allows children to think more critically about subjects in engaging ways and understand the world around them.
- Financial Literacy – Money and Value
To understand the value of money and exploring the basic mathematic concepts of adding and taking away. Often children will look at exchanges in other ways too, eg. “Can I have that duck for this batman key ring?” which helps develop transactional conversations.
Equally, to manage money, children need to gain a level of financial literacy. This allows children to help them achieve their goals in life by having the ability to manage money, which are crucial life skills.
- Health benefits – Discussing Food
Most commonly, children will buy various foods within shop role-play due to the familiarly of the situation. They begin sharing new vocabulary of different foods and may decide on certain ingredients to cook an imaginary meal. Nutrition for children establish a foundation of healthy habits which can continue through their life. To understand the importance of staying healthy and strong both physically and mentally through food.
- Social Interaction – Manners & Conversation
Children learn from being around others and having social experiences. Allowing your children and encouraging them to be more social can help them develop important life skills. They begin sharing feelings and thoughts, understanding that listening to the responses of others can help understanding and make new meaning of experiences. Furthermore, it allows development of empathy, gratitude and manners, structurally children learn how to converse with their peers and deal with conflict.
- Language
Language is a vital tool and development progression step for children to display and reflect on their communication while embedding and expanding their own literacy skills. The importance of children drawing upon a rich store of words, expressions, sentences and different types of language aid composition and confidentially learn how to express themselves accordingly.
Pretty impressive outcomes for a just one example of a simple role-play game, eh?
This is why play-based learning is a non-negotiable in the early years.
*It is not limited to early years – please keep playing and exploring all your life.
If you need any advice, tips or resources to help you organise your environment – please reach out to info@themushkins.com
We can share information on toy rotation, setting-up a successful play environment, open and closed questions, dealing with conflict and practical life skills.
Isabelle Russell
