For many early years practitioners, play is the supreme and necessary ingredient in children's development and learning. We agree that play provides a wide range of potential opportunities for children to learn and develop. However, we feel that play is often promoted as a universal and almost magical 'fix' in the early years, and that ideas associated with play in early childhood education are accepted almost without question. These include the ideas that play is natural, normal, innocent, fun, solely about development and learning, beneficial to all children, and a universal right for children.
We challenge taken-for-granted understandings of play in early childhood education, and argue that play in the early years is not always innocent and fun; that it is also political and involves morals, ethics, values and power. Further, there are other sides to play that are not so romantic, natural, nor particularly educative, and there are times when play is not always the best way for young children to learn.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here