If you have young children in your life, you have probably noticed that they play- a lot. From parallel play with others, to imaginary solo play: children have the magical talent of transforming almost any activity into play time. While its number one function is, of course, enjoyment, significant learning also takes place during children's play, known as play-based learning. This means that parents and caretakers have the ability to maximize learning opportunities while keeping learning fun!
Over the years, children's development, especially in regards to play, has become a popular topic. Countless researchers have dedicated their work to understanding play and its benefits. Their work can be used as a guide while learning how to best suit our children's specific developmental needs.
The following will be a brief overview of early childhood play theorists and their theories, as well as a discussion on real life applications.
Jean Piaget: Cognitive Development Theory
Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process; he also emphasized assimilation, social interaction, and cooperative play. According to Piaget, cognitive development can be separated into four stages: sensorimotor (birth-2-years-old), preoperational (2-7-years-old), concrete operational (7-11-years-old), and formal operational (12+ years old). Each of these stages is associated with certain milestones, such as object permanence (sensorimotor stage) and symbolic thinking (preoperational stage).
Lev Vygotsky: Sociocultural Theory
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory highlighted social interaction and cultural context as the main factors influencing children’s cognitive development. He also introduced the idea of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is the difference between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance.
Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Development Theory
Erikson’s theory focuses on the social and emotional aspects of human development across the lifespan. This theory defines eight stages, four of which occur during childhood: trust vs mistrust (0-1-year-old), autonomy vs shame and doubt (1-3-years-old), initiative vs guilt (3-6-years-old), and industry vs inferiority (6-12-years-old). Like the names suggest, each stage is characterized by a unique psychosocial crisis. Working through these crises allows individuals to develop emotionally and socially.
Friedrich Froebel: Father of Kindergarten
Froebel established the concept of play as a fundamental element of early childhood education through his kindergarten movement. He believed play to be a child’s primary means for exploring and understanding the world they live in, even emphasizing the role of nature in children’s play. Similar to previous theorists, Froebel stressed play as essential for child development and learning.
Mildred Parten: Social Stages of Play
Parten introduced the concept of play stages to better understand and explain the play and social preferences of children at different ages. According to her, the stages of play are unoccupied play, solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play, associative play, and cooperative play. Parten’s theory can be used alongside Piaget’s cognitive stages of play (functional, constructive, symbolic/fantasy, and games with rules) to unlock learning for kids of all ages.
Loris Malaguzzi: Reggio Emilia Play
Malaguzzi is the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education: a theory based on the belief that children are competent and capable learners. This theory promotes an emergent curriculum, meaning that the curriculum emerges from the child’s interests. Strong emphasis is also placed on the physical environment (aka: “the third teacher”) to promote children’s exploration and collaboration.
So- what does it matter?
As caregivers, we can use this knowledge to curate effective learning environments that are individualized to a child’s unique needs and preferences.
- Pay attention to age-specific milestones! Use your knowledge of age-specific ministones and milestones to help determine if your children are developmentally on track. Although this information should be used only as a reference, since many different variables can affect development, this awareness can allow for early detection of potential problems. You can also use the different stages of play as a guide to understanding your child’s current play preferences.
- Encourage collaboration! Collaboration and play-based learning go hand in hand: collaborative play nurtures social skills, empathy, and a sense of community and competency. Many classrooms make use of group activities, so this is also a great way to prepare your child for school.
- Make room for all types of play! Each type of play is unique and serves important functions for healthy development. Imaginative play offers children the opportunity to explore social roles and situations; risky play encourages problem-solving and competence; nature-based play supports curiosity and promotes a sense of appreciation for the world; and cooperative play helps develop language and social skills.
- Create a stimulating environment! By using a mix of toys, games, and other activities, you can stimulate your child’s mind and body. This allows for peak engagement with the environment, thus maximizing learning potential. A playground set provides endless opportunities for motor development, while a library offers mental stimulation.
- Challenge them in fun ways! Challenges encourage problem solving and build self-esteem. When children overcome challenges, they tend to feel confident, capable, and worthy; this transfers to future challenges. Try to create activities that are just outside their comfort level (or ZPD!). Some examples of fun challenges you can do together are obstacle courses, puzzles, and building models.
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REFERENCES: Janelle McArdle, myteachingcupboard DOT com (2023)