Let Them Play: Six Strategies to Promote Play

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. ~Fred Rogers

Did you know that this week is ​NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child​? WOYC is an annual celebration to spotlight early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities.

So, I really can’t think of a better time to advocate for perhaps the most essential element of children’s learning: PLAY!

As teachers, you know the importance of play in early childhood. Play is crucial to brain development as well as the health and well-being of early learners. It fosters physical, emotional, social, and cognitive skills while cultivating creativity and inspiring imagination.

It reduces stress. It combats childhood obesity. It improves self-confidence and self-esteem. It expands students’ vocabularies. It naturally reinforces academic skills. And the list goes on!

Why, then, has play become an afterthought in so many academic settings today?

Early learning classrooms, sadly, are becoming ​all ​work and ​no ​play. The pressures of high-stakes testing have trickled down to kindergarten and even pre-kindergarten classrooms, resulting in a notable decline in unstructured playtime. Many teachers report that their strict schedules and crowded curriculums simply don’t allow for it. In addition, young learners are playing more and more in virtual worlds than in their real one.

This needs to change! And fast!

Here are six strategies for embedding play within the instructional day:

1. Morning Tubs: ​Rid the worksheets! Rather than having students complete some sort of pencil/paper activity upon arrival, set out tubs of materials/manipulatives that allow children to explore, create, and communicate. My morning tubs include items such as Snap Cubes,​​ Dominoes,​​ Jungle Animal Counters,​​ Play-Doh,​ ​Melissa & Doug Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles, ​and ​​Alphamagnets​​. The only direction students are given is to be respectful to their things and to each other. And you know what’s awesome? Academic skills/concepts from the curriculum just come pouring out...organically!
   
    
2. Brain Breaks: ​Incorporate movement, yoga, and/or mindfulness activities throughout the instructional day to re-energize and refocus students. I get the students dancing/exercising every day. We play quick games in between learning activities such as student-led “Simon Says.” We often imitate animals. We also do a variety of movement and mindfulness activities on GoNoodle.com​. I can’t wait to try out the ​Let’s Yoga Together CD​, Mindfulness Cards, Yoga Cards, and Mindfulness Pebbles for group time, too! Students need opportunities to release and channel their energy for good!