why play?

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What the mountains of research and evidence-based science tells us about play:

Play Is Critical for Children and Improves Well-being for Adults.

Today, a diverse body of play research has shown that play is central to leading healthy, productive human lives. No matter your age, play is as important to your mental health as food is to your physical health. 

Science has irrefutably proven that:

· Play builds more complex brains

· Play = Learning

· Play develops EQ and IQ (emotional and academic intelligence)

· Play deprivation can have tragic consequences

· Play improves lives

Neuroscience tells us, when the play circuits in the midbrain are triggered, the related neurons create a cascade of activity in our higher brain functions. The more often we play — the more those neurons connect and the stronger those pathways get. The neural connections created when we play are the brain wiring patterns that give us better control over our movement, our thoughts, and our emotions.

Behavioural science tells us, that encouraging playful curiosity enhances learning outcomes. When play-based instruction is replaced with memorisation and demand for measurable outcomes the result is a negative experience for the child. Over the long run, children who were allowed to play a lot outperform their peers who sat in teacher-led classrooms.  

The super simple stuff we know about play:

· Children love it and would love to learn through play more.

· Play is for everyone, everywhere.

· Play is learning.

· Playing is joyful, and it builds connections and strengthens relationships.

· Play is fun and supports mental wellness

· The skills that play develops are crucial for a fun-in-the-moment, future-ready education.

· It is possible to bring play into the Primary curriculum, for every year group at little cost. 

· Play is a lifeline in a crisis – we don’t need to wait for a crisis!

So, why is play is not available to children in schools?

· It is hard to test, measure and evidence specific academic achievements as a direct result of play.

· Teachers and school staff have been conditioned to believe that play is subordinate to tabletop, adult led learning.

· Play is not valued by adults in schools – it has a poor reputation.

· Classroom environments do not lend themselves to high quality play opportunities.

· Play for large groups can feel disorganised, chaotic and unstructured if not facilitated well – this makes it unappealing to teachers and school staff.

· Time is not invested in play – it is seen as a waste of time.

· CPD on how to provide and facilitate high-quality play is not invested in and/or available beyond EYFS. Though the EYFS model it is possible to see the power of play when training is provided to support educators in facilitating it expertly. 

What does What If Education advocate for?

· Well facilitated, weekly opportunities for high-quality, self-directed play in every year group in Primary schools.

· A more playful and creative approach to lessons across all subjects. Prioritising learning experiences that are joyful, actively engaging, meaningful, iterative and socially interactive.

· CPD for primary educators in how to effectively facilitate play.

· Consideration for how play can be accessed and included when designing school environments.

· A move away from prioritising the evidencing of output (written work in books, photos, videos, teacher notes) and a move towards trusting the educational process and supporting demonstrating learning in the moment.

· Taking learning away from tabletops and putting value on the quality and enjoyment of the input and process of learning.

· The development of trust-based cultures in schools, so that play can be readily included in teaching and learning, and its benefits can become available to everyone. 

· Changing the narrative and boosting play’s reputation, proving that it is the educational powerhouse that the science tells us it is, so that we can see it being given the kudos and time it deserves in our schools.

Just a few of the benefits that the inclusion of play in the primary curriculum will bring:

· An education experience that is more child centred and supports healthy child development.

· Increased enjoyment in teaching and learning

· Improved relationships and deeper connections in all directions

· Improved attendance

· Increased inclusivity

· A happier school community

· Reduced stress levels

· A more relevant learning experience

A Personal Case Study:

When teaching in year 6 (10- & 11-year-olds) I made space in our timetable to provide a full afternoon of self-directed play every week. I set the classroom out like an Early Years classroom: toys, craft, Lego, Scalextric, laptops, outdoor play opportunities, musical instruments, playing cards, building blocks, you catch the drift. 

There was no plan, there was no direction, there was no instruction, other than to enjoy playing. 

I did this because I resolutely believe in the power of play in learning, for all ages. 

I did it because I knew the children would benefit from it in countless ways, even if not all those ways were on the curriculum.

I did it because I had a gut feeling that it was desperately needed for the kids, emotionally and physically.

What I didn’t realise was how valuable and useful it was going to turn out to be for me too.

Our weekly play time gave me the opportunity to see so many of the children in a completely different light... I discovered I had engineers, magicians, mechanics, counsellors, artists, website builders, code writers and so much more in my class.

It gave me time to sit and chat to those children I hadn’t yet bonded with or the quiet ones who I realised I didn’t get the chance to speak much because the days were too busy. It gave me time to spend with children who were often disengaged in lessons and struggling in their academic work. We played together not because they needed extra help, but because we were working together on something of their choice. We had fun, we connected, we found ways to trust each other. This is what encouraged these children to become more engaged in other lessons and it was this that sat behind stronger progress in their academic work.

It gave me time to build relationships in a way that would have been otherwise impossible, they taught me card games, included me in their projects, we laughed together, they told me about their interests outside of school, they taught me what the acronyms in texts meant, I learnt about Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite and Mr Beast, KSI and Skiller. They told me about their worries and told me terrible jokes, (which I could never remember.) They showed me how they could problem solve and work together, resolve arguments and compromise. They taught me how they could apply what they had learned in so many ways, that I would never have come up with as a lesson plan idea.

How did I fit it in though?

I interrogated the curriculum and subject coverage. I looked at the learning differently identifying the purpose behind the learning in each subject and what the children needed to learn and know, rather than focusing on solely on a set of objectives I had inherited. This gave me space to condense those subjects into one or two less formal lessons each. I also changed the way I organised and taught literacy and maths to gain an hour every week – it paid back in dividends.

But year 6 though…what about the SATS? 

The results were higher than ever.

What if there was space made for self-directed play like this in every year group?

I’d happily argue that it would be the most valuable part of the week for academic progress.

Want to know more?

To learn more about the benefits of providing play as a high-quality learning experience, including links to full research projects and papers and policy support: 

· NIFP – Dr Stuart Brown

· Learningthroughplay.com

· Harvard University - Pedagogy of Play – Project Zero

· Frontiers - Learning Through Play at School – A Framework for Policy and Practice

· University of Cambridge - Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL)