Play is the highest form of learning
Date Published: 20th December 2024
Authored by: Ar. Sharvari Punde
Authored by: Ar. Sharvari Punde
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A child is thoroughly fascinated by his surroundings. Right from birth, a child tries to comprehend and absorb every little detail of the world around him. How exactly does he or she try to do this? If you leave an infant or a toddler on his own in a safe space and observe from a distance, you will notice that he engages all his senses and performs all types of plausible physical movements to understand, explore, and move around the space. For young children, sensorial exploration is a primary means of communication with their environment.
Instances, like getting overjoyed by shaking and listening to the sound of a rattler, squishing and making random forms with soft clay, and hiding in cozy corners of the house to play peek-a-boo, highlight how little ones have an innate passion for touching and feeling the different textures, materials, and objects that are placed in their sight of vision. The nascent years of childhood, particularly from birth to six years old, prove to be an extremely important period for the overall growth and development of a child. During this phase, children grasp knowledge, like a sponge, soaking up information from their environment. They absorb everything around them effortlessly, continuously, and indiscriminately.
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Research shows that, from birth to two years of age, a child’s brain forms 1000 neural connections per second – connections that are triggered by loving, responsive, and playful environments[1]. All these facts about the tendencies of young children, ultimately lead us to the realization that creating an environment that encourages natural movement and a drive to play that is rooted in every child, becomes essential to ensure profound practical learning.
Understanding the concept of learning through play
The act of playing is subjective – it differs from child to child. For example, for a little girl, hosting a make-believe tea party with her own tea set may refer to playing, whereas for a small boy, jumping on different surfaces and climbing upside-down on bars may be his favourite activity. But a common trait that unites all forms of play is their ability to teach children something valuable in the most natural and joyful manner. Learning through play can be considered the combination of fun activities that children love to engage in with the rightful yet subtle guidance of an adult directing the activities towards learning.
The important factor in propagating learning through play is offering children an environment that encourages hands-on activities. The practical experience that children attain by experimenting and performing tasks with their own hands strongly reinforces in them the values and skills that they learn throughout the process.
The act of playing is subjective – it differs from child to child. For example, for a little girl, hosting a make-believe tea party with her own tea set may refer to playing, whereas for a small boy, jumping on different surfaces and climbing upside-down on bars may be his favourite activity. But a common trait that unites all forms of play is their ability to teach children something valuable in the most natural and joyful manner. Learning through play can be considered the combination of fun activities that children love to engage in with the rightful yet subtle guidance of an adult directing the activities towards learning.
The important factor in propagating learning through play is offering children an environment that encourages hands-on activities. The practical experience that children attain by experimenting and performing tasks with their own hands strongly reinforces in them the values and skills that they learn throughout the process.
For example, the most generic way of teaching children the importance of nature is by simply telling them that “Planting trees is a noble deed and you should do it regularly.” The child will listen to this lesson and soon forget about it when something else catches his attention. On the other hand, if the same lesson is taught by providing the child with some soil, water, and gardening tools, and is guided to plant a small plantation, there are increased chances of the child enjoying the process while also deeply remembering the importance of caring for the environment.
Creating an accessible and safe space for children to physically carry out different activities enables them to effectively learn the theory and practicality of essential life skills.
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What is the significance of play in learning?
Understanding any concept of learning becomes significantly simpler through practical activities, especially when it comes to young kids, who have a rich potential to grasp at a speed that even an adult cannot match. As we grow older, the parameters of logic and reasoning somehow start limiting our imagination, but when we are younger, our creativity and explorative experimentation know no bounds. Try recalling your childhood to understand this better. Majority of us, at some point in our childhood, have asked our parents questions, like “Why can’t cars fly in the air?” or “Why is the sky blue, why can’t it be green?” The root of such type of queries was our boundless imagination and a brimming curiosity about the world around us. Play is any form of activity that directs a child to try, act, and accomplish, to self-learn. Through play, a child tries to make sense of his world. For example, if you simply point to a wedge of lemon and tell a child that “This is a lemon and it tastes really sour,” the child will listen to you, but not relate to what you are saying. |
But the minute he tastes the lemon, his face will contort because of the sour flavour and at that moment, his brain will clearly register the fact that lemons are sour. Hands-on activities and meaningful play are a medium through which a child relates to his environment.
A child has immense amount of energy – he is constantly fidgeting, crawling, moving, and engaging in some form of activity. This energy, that often even exhausts parents, comes from a deep desire to be physically and emotionally stimulated. Meaningful play becomes a way to positively channelize the boundless energy of young children. We often notice that small kids can never sit silently at one place for a long period of time. After a few minutes, they become restless and start roaming around the space. Aligning with this observation, text-book learning that includes rote memorization does not comply with the natural tendencies of kids, whereas imparting knowledge through fun, playful activities fulfils both the functions of learning and staying physically active.
Learning through play enables children to try and explore multiple possibilities of executing the same action. When a child is given the freedom to choose from a range of materials and play with them, he gets completely engrossed in trying different ways and ideas of handling the chosen material. This process further sharpens the child’s curiosity and prepares him to come up with multiple solutions for a single problem in future. Incorporating play adds the qualities of joy and fun to learning, creating positive environments where children are motivated and excited to learn and grow.
A child has immense amount of energy – he is constantly fidgeting, crawling, moving, and engaging in some form of activity. This energy, that often even exhausts parents, comes from a deep desire to be physically and emotionally stimulated. Meaningful play becomes a way to positively channelize the boundless energy of young children. We often notice that small kids can never sit silently at one place for a long period of time. After a few minutes, they become restless and start roaming around the space. Aligning with this observation, text-book learning that includes rote memorization does not comply with the natural tendencies of kids, whereas imparting knowledge through fun, playful activities fulfils both the functions of learning and staying physically active.
Learning through play enables children to try and explore multiple possibilities of executing the same action. When a child is given the freedom to choose from a range of materials and play with them, he gets completely engrossed in trying different ways and ideas of handling the chosen material. This process further sharpens the child’s curiosity and prepares him to come up with multiple solutions for a single problem in future. Incorporating play adds the qualities of joy and fun to learning, creating positive environments where children are motivated and excited to learn and grow.
Where can we witness play-based learning?
The idea of including play in the process of learning and creating child-centred environments has been studied and implemented by many educators, teachers, and social reformers. There are many educational philosophies based on the concept of giving young children an opportunity to exercise their right to learn in a positive space that values their individuality. The three prominent approaches that come to mind are the Montessorian way of education, based on the beliefs of Dr. Maria Montessori, the Reggio Emilia Approach, formulated by Loris Malaguzzi and the residents of Reggio Emilia, a city in northern Italy, and the Waldorf education system, developed by Austrian social reformer, visionary, and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner.
The idea of including play in the process of learning and creating child-centred environments has been studied and implemented by many educators, teachers, and social reformers. There are many educational philosophies based on the concept of giving young children an opportunity to exercise their right to learn in a positive space that values their individuality. The three prominent approaches that come to mind are the Montessorian way of education, based on the beliefs of Dr. Maria Montessori, the Reggio Emilia Approach, formulated by Loris Malaguzzi and the residents of Reggio Emilia, a city in northern Italy, and the Waldorf education system, developed by Austrian social reformer, visionary, and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner.
Montessorian Way of Education
Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian educator, formulated an educational approach that centred on creating an open space with a variety of objects which can allow young children to choose, navigate, and learn as per their will. She created innovative and mindfully-designed learning materials that had the potential to entice children and keep them deeply engrossed in experimenting with them. The salient features of Montessori education revolve around the fact that young children possess an expansive reserve of creativity and curiosity. They can achieve wonders on their own if they are simply guided in the right direction by adults. This approach involves teaching through practical and playful methods, where children have the freedom to choose the learning materials that interest them, explore them with their own hands and senses, and learn in the process.
Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian educator, formulated an educational approach that centred on creating an open space with a variety of objects which can allow young children to choose, navigate, and learn as per their will. She created innovative and mindfully-designed learning materials that had the potential to entice children and keep them deeply engrossed in experimenting with them. The salient features of Montessori education revolve around the fact that young children possess an expansive reserve of creativity and curiosity. They can achieve wonders on their own if they are simply guided in the right direction by adults. This approach involves teaching through practical and playful methods, where children have the freedom to choose the learning materials that interest them, explore them with their own hands and senses, and learn in the process.
Reggio Emilia Approach
With the guidance of educator and journalist Loris Malaguzzi, the community of Reggio Emilia, a city in northern Italy, formulated an educational approach targeted at creating a positive, inviting, and encouraging learning space for young children – a space where the child is the protagonist of his own process of learning. The approach is directed at making children feel free to explore, experiment, and actively engage their curiosity in an environment where the teacher plays the role of a guide and responds positively to each child’s inquisitive queries and discoveries. A child’s innate desire to learn, a teacher’s collaborative guidance, a strong teamwork between parents and teachers, and a mindfully planned learning environment all come together to offer quality education to young children. This philosophy places a strong emphasis on the learning environment, considering it on the same level as a ‘teacher’; as abundant natural light, calming interiors, plenty of lush vegetation, and an expansive congregation space that unites all children for intriguing activities, creates a space where children feel welcome and inspired. A key belief of this approach highlights how young children have a hundred languages at their disposal to express what they are feeling and thinking. Right from drawing, painting, dance, and music, to pretend play, modelling, sculpting, and writing, children are given complete freedom to effectively portray their thoughts. These ideologies further reinforce the importance of play in a child’s education, and how hands-on activities result in wondrous effects on adequately channelling the vibrant energy of little ones.
With the guidance of educator and journalist Loris Malaguzzi, the community of Reggio Emilia, a city in northern Italy, formulated an educational approach targeted at creating a positive, inviting, and encouraging learning space for young children – a space where the child is the protagonist of his own process of learning. The approach is directed at making children feel free to explore, experiment, and actively engage their curiosity in an environment where the teacher plays the role of a guide and responds positively to each child’s inquisitive queries and discoveries. A child’s innate desire to learn, a teacher’s collaborative guidance, a strong teamwork between parents and teachers, and a mindfully planned learning environment all come together to offer quality education to young children. This philosophy places a strong emphasis on the learning environment, considering it on the same level as a ‘teacher’; as abundant natural light, calming interiors, plenty of lush vegetation, and an expansive congregation space that unites all children for intriguing activities, creates a space where children feel welcome and inspired. A key belief of this approach highlights how young children have a hundred languages at their disposal to express what they are feeling and thinking. Right from drawing, painting, dance, and music, to pretend play, modelling, sculpting, and writing, children are given complete freedom to effectively portray their thoughts. These ideologies further reinforce the importance of play in a child’s education, and how hands-on activities result in wondrous effects on adequately channelling the vibrant energy of little ones.
Waldorf Education System
Emil Molt, owner of Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Germany, wished to create a school where quality education would cater to the intellectual, spiritual, and humanitarian aspects of young children. He collaborated with philosopher Rudolf Steiner to create an innovative approach of imparting knowledge in a way that engages critical thinking (head), emotional feeling (heart), and practical activities (hands). The approach recognized childhood as a culmination of three primary developmental phases – Early Childhood, the age range of birth to seven years old, Middle Childhood, catering to children in the age group of seven to 14 years, and Adolescence, children aged from 14 to 21 years old.
Identifying the unique characteristics and behaviour patterns of each of these phases, the Waldorf system emphasizes on sensory-rich and playful environments for the Early Childhood phase, where children are in the natural process of exploring their surroundings through their senses and movements. For the Middle Childhood phase, teachers engage the children in mesmerizing tales and sagas to effectively guide their overflowing curiosity and imagination. When the children reach the Adolescence phase, they are aptly guided to explore their newly-developed unique intellect and critical thought-process with the help of experts of different fields.
This educational system adequately caters to the changing needs of children as they grow to become independent individuals, accurately catering to their evolving needs, while providing an open, nature-inspired space where hand-on activities and practical tasks take precedence over technology and rote learning.
Learning through play is an expansive concept and we intend to share more of our views in another article titled, ‘How to create a play-based learning environment.’ We hope you go through that article as well and we would be happy to answer any of your queries. Write to us at [email protected].
Emil Molt, owner of Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Germany, wished to create a school where quality education would cater to the intellectual, spiritual, and humanitarian aspects of young children. He collaborated with philosopher Rudolf Steiner to create an innovative approach of imparting knowledge in a way that engages critical thinking (head), emotional feeling (heart), and practical activities (hands). The approach recognized childhood as a culmination of three primary developmental phases – Early Childhood, the age range of birth to seven years old, Middle Childhood, catering to children in the age group of seven to 14 years, and Adolescence, children aged from 14 to 21 years old.
Identifying the unique characteristics and behaviour patterns of each of these phases, the Waldorf system emphasizes on sensory-rich and playful environments for the Early Childhood phase, where children are in the natural process of exploring their surroundings through their senses and movements. For the Middle Childhood phase, teachers engage the children in mesmerizing tales and sagas to effectively guide their overflowing curiosity and imagination. When the children reach the Adolescence phase, they are aptly guided to explore their newly-developed unique intellect and critical thought-process with the help of experts of different fields.
This educational system adequately caters to the changing needs of children as they grow to become independent individuals, accurately catering to their evolving needs, while providing an open, nature-inspired space where hand-on activities and practical tasks take precedence over technology and rote learning.
Learning through play is an expansive concept and we intend to share more of our views in another article titled, ‘How to create a play-based learning environment.’ We hope you go through that article as well and we would be happy to answer any of your queries. Write to us at [email protected].