Unpacking the toybox: talking about play

Some key points emerged from the Critical Thinking Forum

The concept of using play to learn is not one easily understood, particularly its role in providing the foundation for understanding and applying mathematics, science and language – which are subjects South Africa puts a huge amount of budget into with a really poor outcome, year after year.

This was among the opening comments by broadcast journalist, Xolani Gwala, moderator of a Mail & Guardian Critical Thinking Forum on the importance of play in early childhood in Pretoria on November 8, co-sponsored by the department of basic education, UNICEF, the LEGO Foundation and Cotlands.

“Play as an intervention concept is not discussed and something we have not got to grips with,” said Gwala. “We need to acknowledge how important it is for children to play and that games are one way of teaching our children.”

Gwala also said that science and mathematics are among the reasons for questioning what children are taught at an early age and opening up the mysteriousness of these subjects.

UNICEF South Africa representative Hervé Ludovic de Lys said that he believes one of the challenges here is the culture of struggle. “Learning should be a playful experience but at the end of the day, there needs to be a transformation away from struggle to play to learn.

“Children also need to dream and we must let them dream to learn,” continued De Lys. “Seventy percent of violence in South Africa is domestic and it became very clear that early childhood development (ECD) was a fundamental cornerstone in helping children thrive. For the next year, we need to build national com- mitment to safe areas where children can play and learn and dream. South Africa has the capacity, willingness and resources to meet the challenges.

“It is easier to raise strong children than to repair broken men and women and there is clear evidence now on the role of play in learning. My appeal is that everyone pools their strength, capacity and knowl- edge because everything in South Africa is used as a reference point across the rest of the continent.”

Promote debate

“We have a real problem getting people to understand the value of play,” stressed Marie-Louise Samuels, director of ECD for the department of basic education. “Parents must also be engaged with the child and provoke problem-solving through play or we will not have the people we require in the 21st century.”

It was emphasised that ECD is not the onus of government or educators, but that parents must not abdicate their responsibilities. The panel also stressed the importance of letting children be children and allowed to get dirty and to be creative about using media — even television can promote debate.

“Play is a participative learning experience and as a parent, you must make the time to encourage it and to talk to your child. There are so many opportunities to do this, but people don’t use them,” continued Samuels. “You also don’t need expensive toys. The first thing your child often does with it is take it apart and try to fix it and reconstruct it into something else. It is not about the learning, but about what a child does with the learning.”

Dr Wycliffe Otieno, chief of education and adolescent development for UNICEF South Africa concurred, and said that learning and play starts before the child is even born — once mothers feel the first kicks. He also said that the simplest objects such as empty tin cans can stimulate play, reminding the attendees of the little wire cars they used to make.

“Education systems are being blamed for the outcomes of children, but science proves play is an integral part of stimulating and building the brain and gives children the opportunity to express themselves and make them balanced adults.”

Otieno also said that there needs to be balance between work and play, with timing important — not too structured and rigid, but recognising the best amount of time to achieve the most value.

Build understanding

“We must ensure children develop abstract concepts through manipulating ‘concrete’ objects” said Brent Hutcheson, chief executive of Care for Education, representing the LEGO Foundation. “Making this happen is not just a school’s responsibility, but extends to parents and communities and everyone can contribute to play.

“We have to drive the change as a parent and make certain our children can build an understanding of the world through play before writing it down. Play [should] put children in a safe position and allow them to experiment and fail – and undergo their own self-evaluation towards self-esteem and confidence” said Hutchenson.

“We do not need necessarily need to instigate play as children will create it. All they need is themselves and other children and play will emerge. We don’t necessarily need toys, but they do help. Even a box can create play as children will turn anything into a toy”, said Monica Stach, chief operating officer of Cotlands.

Stach emphasised that “We miss so many teachable moments with children. As they play, we need to follow their lead and see what they are doing and learn from them. We also need to package the message of play for parents so that they understand that it is not a waste of time – remove the philosophy of ‘my child is here to learn, not to play. Remove practices that stifle.”

Issues around overcoming disabilities through using ECD and rushing children into formal schooling before they were ready were also raised. Work needs to be done to remove the perception that preschool teachers are not as glamorous as school teachers – because the former ‘get down and dirty’ and work with children on what are perceived as messy activities, such as painting and nature lessons.

The bottom line outcome of the debate is that good ECD practices could not be more vital than right now for the development of children of all aptitudes and ability, enabling their futures to be both rewarding and ultimately consumate with the skills each person has and those required by the country. It was stressed that not everyone should be a university graduate but can have rewarding and successful careers as artisans and in other fields of work.