Play Based Learning

“By providing the opportunities for children to manage their own risks in a controlled environment, they will learn vital life skills needed for adulthood, and gain the experience needed to face the unpredictable nature of the world” (Gill, 2007)

We strongly believe risky play is an invaluable part of childhood. When given the opportunity, children are competent and capable of making decisions about their risk taking in play. Our educators believe that it is not only possible, but essential to balance safety with risk, providing environments that are as safe as necessary rather than as safe as possible.

Our natural, child-led environments provide opportunities for children to manage their own risk across six main areas including engaging with heights, speed, impact, rough and tumble play, real tools, and dangerous elements. Children are afforded opportunities to safely use real tools and engage with elements such as fire and water. Regular community walks and excursions also support children to self-assess risk in multiple environments around our community.

Research into children’s risky play has suggested many benefits for their development and learning, including increased motor competence; improved general health; an increase in physical activity; higher ability to assess risks and handle risk situations in an appropriate way; and positive psychological outcomes.

This play has its roots in the principles of the ‘Theory of Loose Parts’ expounded by Nicholson (1972). Nicholson proposed that:

“…in any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.” Nicholson, 1972 , p. 6.

At Hamilton Child Care Centre we design our environments with this theory in mind to optimise each child’s creativity and engagement. These materials act as a catalyst for children’s big ideas and allows them to learn about what things are and how they work.

Providing moveable materials and equipment within learning environments invites children to engage whilst often requiring little or no adult direction. Open-ended, portable and able to be used in multiple ways, when children are provided with time to explore, these materials encourage flexibility in thinking, problem solving and the development of inquiry-based skills.

When engaged in loose parts play, children are afforded opportunities to further develop their language, physical, social and creative processes, not always focusing on an end product. There are countless possibilities, and each child will bring their own background knowledge and experiences that will influence the play and learning for all involved.

Educators support loose parts play by providing the raw materials for children to engage with such as sticks, rocks, pavers, crates, rope, pipes, recyclable materials. These open-ended materials allow children the freedom to express their thinking in limitless ways.