Play as learning

Children during playtime have entered a world of their own which adults have since long forgotten existed. It is a world of wonder and imagination, where creativity and adventure abounds. Children who are in the midst of playing are not simply passing time mindlessly. There is a great deal of learning going on for the child in their own person as they interact with their world and with the worlds of the other children.

No two children are going to approach something in the same way, their minds and experiences are always different. Because of the differences they are able to learn from each other during playtime as well as learn from themselves. Adults forget the values of exploring with others and learning from others, even though they never truly stop.

A child presented with toys such as blocks, play clay, other things give them experience with different textures and categories. They are not going to understand all of the things adults think about, but they are in an active state of using their imaginations and creating their own designs. From a child’s perspective the task at hand is exciting and important. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and achievement when they have completed a task. Children will work with each other or sometimes alone to make believe they are in a different world, doing the things they see adults doing all the time.

Adults are a mystery to the child just as the children are a mystery. They want to dress up like the adults, do the things the adults are doing, because this gives them purpose and a feeling of identifying with all of the grown up giants around them.  

My program has a good deal of open space for playtime for the children. This is not simply mindless chaos even if it appears in this manner from the outside view. If we are outside there are places for them to be constructive in the sand box, operating shovels and digging. Outside also yields plenty of places to find leaves and sticks, grass, exploring nature is very important for children. You can teach the children while they play, often they are more engaged because they are moving around and waiting on the adult to follow.

Children are learning as much during playtime as anything, their social skills are a major source of learning. When its playtime they can interact with each other and give clues to how brave or how shy they are in different situations. A child who is pushy with his toys has to learn how to share and why it is important, but also needs to find ways to cooperate with the other kids. Adults have to be present when children are at play so they can direct these moments of learning and play.

Growth and learning is brought about through experience with life situations. This is as true for adults as it is for children. But for the children their experiences are given through simple things they do day to day. From dropping their food and learning about generated responses from adults, to the buttons they push on their toys to make various events happen. Children are learning as much about their world through interacting with it as they are able. As a child grows they will attempt more and more, even follow the patterns of adults as role models. Every child seeks to be just like the adults they see.

It is important for children to learn from themselves so they will be prepared for this learning in the future. Self-initiated play is a key building block for their personal growth. A child will learn through creative thinking and making their own decisions. It is unclear to the adult most of the time, but the child who is very busy is the child who is learning everything he or she can about their world. This kind of learning is important for children just as much as it is for adults to learn about themselves.

My children do not just spend all day in mindless play, but in daily interactive creativity using their imaginations. When I observe them at their personal play time, they are growing and learning more about their world and what they are able to do in the world. They will learn which words they hear and repeat work to gain access to their desires. Babble turns into language adults can understand. They are interactive with each other and following the important process of learning as they play.