Children have an innate curiosity and natural inclination to play however play is so undervalued as an educational tool. It can be seen as pointless, insignificant, time wasting and meant to just keep children busy. But when we strip back to the fundamentals of what a child is doing during play, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn the benefits of learning through play and how a variety of play methods can enhance your child’s education. 

What Are Children Doing During Play?  

During play, children are exploring a world of possibilities and fostering their love of learning. They are developing their social and emotional skills, their own language and communication methods, their fine and gross motor movements are explored, their creativity and imagination is sparked, their cognitive development is challenged and their individual characteristics and learning styles come alive! Let’s explore those a little deeper. 

Social and Emotional Skills 

Engaging in play encourages social interaction, cooperation, empathy, respect, boundaries, resilience, constructive thinking and flexibility. As children engage in solo play, they are provided with unexpected challenges within their experiences. Whether that be a block not fitting in a certain space, a piece of doll clothing not going on correctly or the pencil being blunt and not working to draw. These all spark a child’s thought processes and problem-solving skills.  

During solo play they are also exploring unlimited imaginative possibilities – where their play takes them is only limited to their own imagination – which comes from their life experiences. During group play, children learn to work collaboratively with others – this supports their development of emotional regulation, empathy, respect for others, turn taking, negotiations, self- regulation, compromise and problem solving. They are also learning to build on their relationships with others including developing their own boundaries, learning the boundaries of others, conflict resolution skills and understanding their roles in society.  

Play also provides a safe space for children to express, explore and understand their emotions and the emotions of others. When they are engaging in various methods of play, whether it be dramatic, imaginative or construction, they get the chance to feel different emotions, make sense of what they mean and how they affect them and how to regulate them. This in turn builds on their resilience, empathy, self-confidence, self-esteem and sense of self. 

Language and Communication Methods 

Engaging in play provides endless opportunities for children to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with others. Through play they express their ideas, thoughts and feelings towards play scenarios which supports their ever-growing vocabulary. They also learn through listening to their peers and educators, including instructions on how to complete activities, which creates connections between communication and physical actions. It is important that adults use correct language when communicating with children as this supports their ability to communicate and express their needs effectively to others. Effective communication will then support their own sense of self and build on their confidence to express themselves throughout all areas of life, not just play. 

Fine and Gross Motor Development 

Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. By engaging in activities such as puzzles, tracing, play dough and other sensory experiences, beading, threading, finger painting, water play, gardening and experiences that involve manoeuvring small objects, children are developing skills that will support them with tasks such as eating, writing, manipulating objects and getting dressed. 

Gross motor skills are physical skills which require whole body movement and involve the large muscles of the body to perform everyday functions. This includes standing, walking, running, jumping, sitting upright, balancing, riding a bike or scooter, swimming, throwing, catching and kicking to name a few. Engaging in physical play enables children to refine their motor coordination, balance and dexterity. These skills are essential to their overall development, health, coordination and body awareness. 

Creativity and Imagination 

Play is the ultimate blank canvas for children’s creativity and imagination to flourish.  When given the freedom to engage in uninterrupted play children create their own play scenarios through role play, telling stories, creating spaces and more. Children can be anything they want to be when engaging in play – the possibilities are endless, which builds on their imaginative thinking, inventiveness, cooperation, communication and self-expression! These qualities are what build on the foundations of their abilities to problem solve, adapt, create and explore in many other areas of their life. 

Cognitive Development 

Engaging in play stimulates children’s cognitive development in various ways in collaboration with all the developmental areas mentioned above. Cognitive development is how children think, explore and figure things out. It is the development of knowledge, skills, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making and dispositions, which help children to think about and understand the world around them. As mentioned in the areas above, play gives children the opportunity to explore all of these elements in different methods. 

Individual Characteristics and Learning Styles 

Learning through play allows children to explore their own sense of self and figure out who they are, what triggers them, how they absorb information and what looks like for their future endeavours. Learning through play opens up a world of experiences that enhances their ability to embrace their learning journey in their own individual way which paves the way for their future academic success.  

So, the bottom line is, children need to play! Play has gained significant recognition and proven to be a highly effective tool in learning and it is essential to their overall development and the opportunities to expand their knowledge, experience and skills is endless! Support children to play and you will ignite their curiosity and cultivate a lifelong love for learning! 

Learning through Play at Niño ELA 

At Nino ELA, learning through play opportunities create many openings for children to make decisions themselves about where they will play, who they will play with and how long they will spend at a particular learning experience in either the indoor or outdoor learning environment. 

Nino ELA’s ‘Non interrupted play times’ promote a focused opportunity of learning through play, supporting children to develop a love of learning, to be curious, creative and interested in their world. Throughout these times children can explore, imagine, pretend, create, investigate and communicate. 

Learning environments are set with open-ended experiences facilitating children’s opportunities in extending their own learning and opportunities to celebrate, succeed, make mistakes, practice, test new information or skills, form their own ideas and opinions, master new skills and increase their own knowledge. 

To find out more about our learning through play and our curriculum, visit Niño ELA’s Curriculum or contact your local Niño ELA centre today. 

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Author – Sam Marriner, Mentor & Leadership Manager, Niño Early Learning Adventures  

With over 12 years’ experience in the Early Education Sector and an innate passion for Education Through Play, Sam is one of Niño ELA’s Mentor and Leadership Managers, providing guidance and support to our management teams, employees, families and children.