Many of us talk about our classroom and about the work children do for us every day. Perhaps we do this, in an effort to make parents take us more seriously and understand that there is learning going on at school. But are we changing the way that we see learning to happen and forgetting about play in our early years’ schools?

Traditionally a playschool, where children go to play, was considered unimportant and not requiring much skill or effort on the part of the teacher. But perhaps in moving away from that, we have lost sight of the importance of play-based learning.

What is play? Why is it so important? And what is happening when children are playfully engaged?

Play is the primary occupation of a child. It is the most natural and effortless form of learning. Play is the spontaneous activity the child chooses to do for fun. It is the key to learning in a young child. Most importantly for us to remember, play is child-directed, voluntary, and internally motivated fun.