8 Reflecting on the opportunities of play-based learning
As already discussed, play-based learning brings opportunities for children to stretch their thinking to higher levels and to build capabilities across a broad range of areas (Robertson et al., 2018). Play stimulates and integrates a range of intellectual, socio-emotional, physical and creative capabilities.
The expansive potential of play-based learning was outlined in the “Opportunities in play-based learning” interactive by explaining these nine learning and general capabilities.
- Asking questions
- Exploring mathematics and science
- Developing resilience and self-regulation
- Communicating with others
- Making interpretations and forming arguments based on discoveries
- Building narrative and literacies
- Developing resilience and self-regulation
- Forming peer relationships
- Designing investigations
Engage and extend
Having looked through the different areas of play-based learning, reflect on your experiences and think of examples of when you have seen one of these areas in action. Solidify the reflective connections you have made between theory and practice by writing down your brief example or examples. It can be helpful to draw a picture or find an image that visualises your examples.
