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Why Play is Every Child’s Basic Right in Primary School

I would have never have thought a decade ago that’d I’d have to defend this basic right, says Debra Kidd…

Debra Kidd
by Debra Kidd
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It seems extraordinary that we’ve entered a phase of educational ideology where we’re having to defend the child’s right to play. It’s as if decades of research into child development count for nothing when placed next to a neurotic nation, hell bent on ensuring our children are ‘globally competitive’.

Ten years ago, I would have thought it impossible that I might have to write an article in defence of this most natural of children’s pursuits – or ‘prove’ its worth in the school day.

Let’s be clear – play is enshrined as a children’s right by the UN, and with good reason. Children who play have better mental and physical health and cognitive development.

Physical play develops both fine motor and gross motor skills, the former of which impacts on their capacity to sustain writing.

Social play develops vocabulary, turn taking, rule making, imagination and communication.

Role play develops empathy and the capacity to understand multiple perspectives and explore how other human beings respond and react to each other.

It seems obvious that play should have a role in the schooling of our children – and not just in Early Years.

Children naturally default to narrative structures in their play – they will allocate roles, contexts, tensions and consequences as they develop playful situations.

This seems to be an instinctive thing for them to do – perhaps because, as psychologist Daniel Willingham points out, ‘Stories are psychologically privileged in the human mind.’ This helps to makes children’s play memorable.

A wise and creative teacher can shape this play by providing stories, objects and space for this kind of learning to emerge.

Playfulness is something that we tend to think of as necessary in early child development – largely because of the body of research into brain development for the under fives, but play is actually central to human happiness and productivity too.

According to neuroscientist Sergio Pellis, a lack of play has an impact on the development of the prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functions such as self regulation.

This research is replicated in the findings of Stanford University – children who are exposed to play and don’t have formal education before the age of seven have better self regulation, social skills and concentration at the age of 11.

It would seem that playfulness is a quality that is deeply connected to our sense of wellbeing, social responsibility and creativity. In addition, Dr Bowen White points to evidence that play makes us more productive and better at solving problems, right through into adulthood.

So what? “Let them play at home or in the playground,” some say. “The classroom is for work”. But they forget that pressures on housing, poverty and parental stress can mean that many children rarely get to play. Their opportunities for play might exist almost entirely within the school day.

Even children from more advantaged backgrounds may have less access to free, spontaneous play due to overscheduling of activities, personal tutors and parental fears of them being unsafe.

For many, schools are the only places where there might be the space for play to happen. Here’s how to make play a daily part of classroom life:

  • Make your classroom environment a playful space, with areas for exploration, talk, experimentation and play. This matters all the way through school, not just in the Early Years.
  • Think up contexts for learning that allow children to be guided through dilemmas and situations that require them to think in playful ways. Mantle of the Expert is a great pedagogy steeped in purposeful play.
  • Recognise the powerful links between play and wellbeing and ensure that children have access to enough time to play. If we want children to self-regulate and concentrate in class, keeping them in at breaktime is probably counterproductive.
  • Challenge the testing culture that exists in schools. England is almost entirely alone in the world, as well as in the UK, in terms of formalising education and reducing access to play.
  • Make the most of outdoor spaces to help children access physical activity and play.

We need to take a step back and consider what we’re doing to children in our fearful pursuit of targets. Are we acting in their interests, and not out of fear of accountability and results? Perhaps we need to become more playful ourselves.

Debra Kidd has worked in education for over 20 years and has delivered CPD nationally and internationally. Find her at debrakidd.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @debrakidd.

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