We all talk about play, but do we even understand what play is?

A small vocabulary of play

Play may be the most often misunderstood term in early learning. The reason for it relates to its many different forms and misunderstood nature in itself. We adults, educators and parents alike, often think of play either as something fun and unrelated to learning or as something to be used to teach a child. In this blog, we try to explore the different forms of play and what happens during them to better understand and also appreciate them. 

Play could be divided into two basic categories:

1. Free play. It is completely initiated by children and does not have specific objectives or a broader purpose. This type of play is innate for both children and adults. As humans, we have a natural tendency to play. In free play, children can engage in it naturally, without requiring guidance.

2. Play as a method of learning, or commonly called as learning through play. This type of play is what play-based learning is all about. While it can incorporate free play as one of its techniques, play-based learning typically involves more guided or structured activities with specific educational objectives.

Let’s first look at the first category in this blog, what is often referred as Free play (or we often call it as unstructured play). Learn more about the second type of play - play as a learning method here in our second blog. 

Free play

As mentioned above, because free play is a play led by children without specific rules, directions or goals, allowing children to use their imagination and creativity freely, it represents the most genuine form of play. Children play for the sake of play itself rather than being directed by outer motives, while adults often play to get some objectives or rewards.

The benefits of free play from research

In the recent discussions ignited for example by Jonathan Haidt in his book Anxious Generation, the decline in free play has been lifted up and linked to for example in the decline of children’s overall wellbeing. Common reasons for the decline include safety concerns (stranger danger, crime, traffic), eroding social capital, increasing time spent in school, a rising belief that childhood is a time for resume building , and an overemphasis on structured activities (sports, clubs, etc.).

Another respected psychologist, Boston College emeritus professor Peter Gray, explain how hundreds of studies on animals and humans show that young mammals want to play, need to play, and end up socially, cognitively, and emotionally impaired when they are deprived of play. Professor Gray’s recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. Professor Lipponen of University Helsinki, a co-founder of HEI Schools, also articulates that "Children do not play to learn, but they learn while they play."

It’s been argued by researchers Hansen Sandseter, Kleppe and Ottesen Kennair that evolution may have created free play as the natural practice tool for children to strengthen their resilience as they have gotten to test and practice their developing skills in a safe play environment. (Read more about how play strengthens children's resilience and other skills here.)

One crucial aspect of play is risk taking. Children and adolescents must take age-appropriate risks and fail—often—in environments in which failure is not very costly. This is how they extend their abilities, overcome their fears, learn to estimate risk, and learn to cooperate in order to take on larger challenges later. Researchers Hansen Sandseter, Kleppe and Ottesen Kennair talks about how thrilling play might be the most effective kind for overcoming childhood anxietiesand building social, emotional, and physical competence in a study published in the International Journal of Play.

Examples of free play

Free play is very diverse and includes the following examples:

• Creative play e.g.drawing & painting, dramatic play, building structures with loose parts.
• Exploratory play involves hands-on experiences with natural elements like sand, water and nature.
• Physical play (2-7yrs) incorporates climbing, running, dancing, building obstacle courses etc.
• Social Play (4-7yrs) consists of imaginative group play through role play.
• Solitary play (0-2yrs) includes puzzle solving, exploring materials & storytelling with toys.
• Outdoor play include gardening, playing with mud kitchens & chalk drawings. Loose parts play involves using open-ended materials such as cardboard, natural & re-purposed materials to create.

Adults can support children's free play

With adult support or gentle guidance, free play can be more enriched and meaningful. Teachers or caregivers may set up a play environment with learning objectives in mind, allowing children to explore while subtly steering the experience. The educator can for example set up the environment with blocks, legos, dolls, animals, or whatever toys or materials they wish to use. They could be setting up an environment that mimics a house or kitchen and allowing children to decide how they wish to use the play area and the toys and materials found in that area. Often open ended materials like blocks versus highly structured materials like fireman outfits can induce more creativity from children.

But remember, educators' role is to support and complement to children's play, not so much to guide. We can add new colors to the play by introducing perspectives or information but also let children decide what they want to do with the offer. 

• Creating a themed play area (like a grocery store) to teach about money or healthy eating.
• Dramatic play could include sensory play; nature inspired sensory bin literacy play; story-telling with puppets & other props, music & movement play; creating own instruments with recycled materials.

Do you know?
At HEI Schools, we train educators to enhance and enrich children's free play opportunities throughout the school day. Children are consistently encouraged to engage in play that aligns with their own interests and the rules they establish. This method not only fosters confidence in making independent choices but also instills a sense of responsibility for those choices. Learn more about approach in free play by book a meeting to preview our curriculum here. 

If you're a parent and wanting to enrich your child's free play, we give more detailed instructions and tips in our free parent handbook! The handbook is free for anyone who wants to learn the secret of Finnish families to raise confident and resilient children! Sign up here.

Conclusion

There is nothing better than playing to practice those skills. And not to think again that play is for certain purpose, let’s keep in mind that play is a child’s right. As Professor Lipponen says: “Children do not play to learn social-emotional skills or to enhance their well-being – children play for the sake of playing.” To simplify it, children play as it makes them happy! 

Therefore, perhaps we adults as educators and parents should re-think the role of play in a child’s life and start appreciating especially the free play? By giving children time to play freely every day may be the best investment we make into their future. 

Continue reading part 2 of this blog to learn about the second type of play: play as a learning method here.

Interested in implementing free play at your school? Explore more with our educational solutions for you

We would like to invite you to take a look at our Toolkit Curriculum, which is one of our educational solutions that encompasses all the play-based learning mentioned above into one complete and implementable curriculum. The Toolkit curriculum comprises all the lesson plans, activities, and additional resources that can be readily used by teachers at your school(s).