Since 2015, the staff and students at Douglas Road have been starting our Monday’s (and many other mornings) with a period of unstructured play in the classroom. Around the same time, an initiative to promote a full day of play in schools across the globe was getting started. Since the current Pandemic with all its added stress and increased isolation, there have been growing calls for educators & families to foster even more opportunities for children to play. So we are participating in the Global School Play Day this year!Research shows that play enhances children’s learning and independence immensely. “Play nourishes every aspect of children’s development – it forms the foundation of intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills necessary for success in school and life. Play ‘paves the way for learning’.” (Hewes, 2006).
Importance of Play in Social Emotional Learning
Play fosters creativity and resiliency by inviting participation in a relaxed and enjoyable context by setting up open – ended activities through the use of various materials such as blocks, Lego and board games.
Play facilitates:
- Cooperation
- Planning
- Problem-solving
- Individual learning needs
- Risk-taking in a safe space
And it seems that perhaps the world needs play now more than ever. So our school will be joining schools around the world where a full day is being devoted to play during the first month back to school. At Douglas Road, this will be Friday, September 10th. And we will keep giving students opportunities to learn through play all year long.
