Learning through Play
PEN Young Children’s View on Play
Play is the heart of early childhood learning and development. Through play, children explore, imagine, and create; they build knowledge, confidence, and resilience. We view play not as separate from learning, but as the foundation for all growth—cognitive, social, emotional, and physical. Our role is to nurture safe, inclusive, and inspiring environments where every child can learn through joyful discovery. We champion play as every child’s right and as the most powerful preparation for school, for relationships, and for life.
Play should be viewed not as a break from learning, but as the very foundation of learning and development.
1. Play as a Child’s Natural Way of Learning
Play is how children explore, experiment, and make sense of the world.
It allows them to test ideas, take risks, and discover cause and effect.
Through play, children integrate what they see, hear, and feel into meaningful understanding.
2. Play as Developmentally Essential
Cognitive growth: problem-solving, creativity, memory, and language develop during playful activities.
Social skills: children learn cooperation, sharing, turn-taking, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Emotional growth: play builds confidence, resilience, and self-regulation.
Physical growth: gross and fine motor skills are strengthened through active play. In the preschool this happens in the classroom and on the playground.
3. Play as Both Structured and Unstructured
Free play nurtures imagination, independence, and self-directed learning.
Guided/structured play allows teachers to scaffold learning, introduce new ideas, and extend children’s thinking while keeping play enjoyable.
4. Play as Inclusive and Individualised
Every child plays differently depending on their interests, culture, abilities, and developmental stage.
Play should be accessible, safe, and adaptable so all children can participate meaningfully.
5. Play as Preparation for Life
Far from being “just fun,” play prepares children for school and beyond by building the soft and hard skills needed for lifelong learning.
It develops executive function (focus, memory, planning), adaptability, and collaboration—skills critical in a rapidly changing world.
6. Play as a Right of the Child
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, play is a fundamental right.
We advocate for this right and protect children from overly rigid, academic-only approaches that push aside play. All our teaching and training is focused on children learning while having fun.
At PEN we champion play as central to early education, we promote environments where it flourishes, and support teachers and caregivers, to value and facilitate play as the most powerful vehicle for growth. The PEN Young Children Toy Libraries, sponsored by ASAP are intrinsic to our success in teaching the National Curriculum through play.
