Early childhood education can be an important part of a child’s development, helping them to grow and ready themselves for further schooling. Finding the right nursery services, however, can often feel daunting, with many nursery schools offering different types of education and care. In this article from Blue Nest Montessori School, you can discover what play-based learning is and how it might work for your child.
Defining Play-Based Learning
Play is a key component of early childhood experiences, from exploring the world alone to collaboratively playing with friends and family. Did you know, however, that play is more than simply a fun activity? Play can be incredibly useful when it comes to helping children to learn. Play-based learning can be used to help children develop their cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills at a rate and in a way that is right for them.
The Origins of Play-Based Learning
Play-based learning has found its place in education for well over a century. While the origins of play-based education methods are not easily found in one place, there are a few educators who have encouraged and contributed to the idea of learning through play. In this section, you can discover two influential persons who have helped to shape play-based learning into a form of education today.
Friedrich Froebel
The founder of Kindergarten and a German pedagogue, Friedrich Froebel was born in 1782 and died in 1852. He was credited with acknowledging that children each have different needs and capabilities, which means that schooling practices cannot look just one way for all children. He believed that play is an incredibly important resource in early childhood education, by helping children to understand what the world means through playful exploration.
Maria Montessori
Credited with creating the Montessori method of education, Maria Montessori believed that learning should follow a child’s natural interests. The method she developed encourages more hands-on learning activities such as play as an alternative to traditional methods of teaching. She argued that play and education guided by the child could help to grow a child’s sense of independence.
The Types of Play-Based Learning
Play-based learning comes in multiple forms. Often, a mix of multiple different types of play-based learning activities is the best way forward. Find out what you need to know in this section.
Physical
Motor skills are important in a child’s development, helping them to get around with ease. With physical play-based learning, a child has the opportunity to expand their skills by running and jumping, as well as grabbing and holding playthings. Outdoor activities might also consist of games with rules, which can help children understand more about fairness and how to challenge themselves in a fun environment.
Symbolic
Providing a way to represent something else, symbols can be useful in play-based learning. Figurines and toys can be useful for representing real-world situations or imaginary scenarios, helping children to learn more about relationships and how certain things might work. Toys also come in all shapes and sizes, including both animals and objects, meaning the scenarios that can be created are almost limitless.
Exploring
Exploring the world is undoubtedly an excellent way to learn more about it. Even as adults, we use exploration to educate ourselves about certain subjects. Marine biologists, for example, spend much of their time outdoors to learn more about our waters. For children, play-based learning through exploration can be going on walks around nature where their curiosity can thrive as they visually and physically appreciate their surroundings.
Sensory
Our senses are important in helping us to learn more about how certain things work and how they can be used. Sensory play-based activities make the most of a child’s smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing. These activities can encourage children to focus on their communication skills in particular, as they attempt to describe what they are interacting with.
Pretend and Role-Play
Our imagination can be used to help us understand more about ourselves and the people around us. Empathy can be built up through role-play scenarios, where a child is encouraged to think about how someone might feel in a certain situation. By pretending to be someone else using different situations and roles, a child can also learn more about how our society works, from paying for groceries to attending a doctor’s appointment.
The Benefits of Play-Based Learning Activities
Play-based learning has proven to be a popular choice for parents for many very good reasons. In this section, you can learn some of the key benefits of play-based learning that your child may be rewarded with, should you choose this type of early childhood education.
Confidence Building
Self-confidence isn’t something that only impacts teenagers and adults. Confidence is something that needs to be built up from the beginning of a child’s life, encouraging them to try new things and complete tasks fully even after setbacks. With play-based learning, a child has a chance to build confidence in their abilities in a relaxed and easy setting, without the added challenge of pressure.
Encourages Positive Associations
One concern parents often have is that their child will dislike school. Often, a dislike of education can be formed by negative associations, such as a hostile learning environment. Thankfully, play-based learning activities can help children grow a strong and positive attitude towards learning, as it can reward them with both fun experiences and a sense of achievement.
Promote Self-Expression and Creativity
It can be difficult for children to express themselves if they’re unsure of how to do so. Self-expression is important, as it helps a child to show off their interests and to communicate their needs. With play-based learning activities, children can easily find a medium that works for the way they might like to express themselves, whether it might be using stickers or creating sand sculptures.
Enhanced Problem-Solving Abilities
When an activity is fun for a child, it may be more likely that they try to overcome problems encountered. By incorporating problem-solving through play, a child may be less likely to give up when faced with difficulties later in life. Problems encountered during play can include physical or mental ones, preparing a child for challenges that can be faced later in life.
Better Communication
When playing together routinely, it can become easier to understand each other. With regular teamwork and communication prompted by play, children might find it easier to communicate their feelings to one another and responsible adults. The ability to effectively communicate feelings and needs can help them to feel understood, promoting an overall healthy sense of being heard.
Social Skills
Playing together gives a child an understanding of other people, including what they might like or dislike. Play can show one child what another might be uncomfortable with, helping that child to understand individual boundaries and develop concern for one another. It can promote specific skills such as awareness, respect and sharing, simply through playing with one another.
Play-Based Learning in Greater London and Beyond
If play-based learning sounds right for you and your child, our nursery services at Blue Nest Montessori School may be perfect for you. With multiple locations around the Greater London area and an Ofsted Grade 2 rating, we are here to help your child flourish with play-based learning and the Montessori method. Read on to find out more.
Our Philosophy
At Blue Nest Montessori School, we take early childhood education seriously. Our staff use the Montessori method of teaching, allowing us to follow the child’s natural curiosity for learning. Helping children discover their interests is incredibly valuable, shaping them for the future, which is just one of the reasons why we choose this method when it comes to our children's learning resources. Please visit our website to find out more about the reasons we use the Montessori method.
Home-Learning
If you’re interested in carrying on with your child’s education while at home, our team at Blue Nest Montessori School can offer you plenty of home learning resources. Find links to helpful resources on the home learning page, found on the Blue Nest Montessori School website.
Contact Us
Looking to start your child’s education in a way that works for them? Search no further than Blue Nest Montessori School. With nursery services in Harrow, Borehamwood and Pinner, you can find a location that works best for you. Please visit our website to learn more about us and our team. Alternatively, please reach out to us for further information and support.
Comments