Play is not a four-letter word

There is a common misunderstanding of the role of play in development

Recently, during a popular morning radio show, the presenter asked for one key activity that can be used to “improve mathematical skills” for very young children. I phoned in and in the one-minute space between my call and the 7AM news bulletin, I tried to explain how play forms the foundation for maths and language development. Disappointingly, the presenter felt that he still did not get the answer — that one thing that can be done to kick-start better abilities and skills in mathematics. My heart sank … It was as if play was the proverbial four-letter word that kept kids from learning.

I realised that we might be stuck in a “fast-food culture” understanding of how children develop and learn. This radio conversation makes me think we are trapped in a notion that there is a quick fix — one, singular thing/action that will do the magic — to kick-start a trajectory/process of performance, prosperity and success. In doing so, however, we miss the most important part of laying a foundation to succeed, and we compromise quality learning at the expense of “fast-food” learning.

Play is continuously misunderstood, and very often seen as being only frivolous and entertaining. The critical importance of play as one of the essential foundations in children’s learning, development and wellbeing is overlooked or seen as a “side event” in the development of human beings. This creates a challenge to be addressed through concrete actions, evidence and advocacy, and requires dedication, perseverance and champions.

Two weeks after my one-minute radio phone-in, I found myself at the Lego Idea Conference in Billund, Denmark, inspired to explore, with the foremost experts in the world, quality in learning. It was indeed reaffirming to hear that play is central to early learning and scaffolds development and mastery of essential and important executive function skills. Our children need to be ready for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century and play brings together essential skills through quality learning that will support success in the early years, in the classroom and in the future world of work. Quality does not necessarily fit neatly in a box. It will not allow itself to be rigidly defined, standardised and subjected to tests. Quality is active, playful, explorative, and co-operative; it accumulates the skills and knowledge needed from the start, which are rooted in play, and carries us into a future filled with hope, prospects and opportunities.

Quality in early learning and development is engaging, future-oriented, progressive, exploratory, incremental, timely, flexible, inclusive, creative, outcome-focused, and more — all woven into the tapestry of play.

Someone asked me what we are doing in South Africa to support play, and more importantly, play-based learning. I rattled off policies and documents that clearly show a nationallevel commitment to endorse learning through play.

I felt obliged to add that, nonetheless, there are persistent challenges. Play is not well understood and utilised as being integral to children’s learning and development, and playbased learning is not continuously practiced in early childhood development programmes and foundation phase education. Thus, there is a recognised need for support and training that will enhance the capacity of parents, other primary caregivers, early childhood development practitioners and foundation phase educators to facilitate early learning that is rooted in play.

Improving the quality of early learning in an active manner and laying a foundation to achieve not only ensures that children have the abilities to engage with the challenges of the 21st century, it also advances the goals set out in South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 as well as the global Sustainable Development Goals. The world we want starts with a commitment to the importance of play in learning and development … daily, and for life.

Play is not four-letter word: it is an empowering word filled with concepts, ideas and surprises that carefully and meticulously facilitate quality learning and lays the foundations that will advance humanity.