Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, discusses why kids learn best through play, the importance of playful learning in classrooms, how technology impacts play, the need for adults to have recess, and how parents can encourage more play in their kids' lives.
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Quick takeaways
Play allows children to explore, discover, and learn in ways that traditional academic activities cannot replicate.
Guided play promotes active learning, comprehensive understanding, social interaction, and emotional engagement among students.
Deep dives
Children learn best through play
Psychologists have found that children learn best through play. As playtime has decreased in recent years, researchers are advocating for more playful learning in children's lives. Play allows children to explore, discover, and learn in ways that traditional academic activities cannot replicate.
Guided play in the classroom
Guided play, which combines a learning goal with the freedom of exploration, is an effective approach to learning in the classroom. By setting up an environment that encourages active and meaningful engagement, students become agents of their own learning. Guided play promotes active learning, comprehensive understanding, social interaction, and emotional engagement among students.
The benefits of unstructured play
Unstructured, free play is essential for children's development. It helps develop skills such as problem-solving, imaginative thinking, and social interaction. Through free play, children learn how to navigate social dynamics, solve problems, and think creatively. It also offers an opportunity for children to unwind, explore their surroundings, and discover new things.
The impact of technology and the importance of balance
The rise of technology and digital devices has significantly impacted children's playtime. Excessive screen time and passive engagement with digital media have replaced vital opportunities for active play and exploration in the real world. It is crucial for parents to strike a balance, promoting a healthy mix of digital play and physical play to ensure children engage with their surroundings, learn from social interactions, and develop essential cognitive and social skills.
Playtime isn’t just for fun -- psychologists who study children’s learning have found that kids learn best through play. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, of Temple University, talks about why kids need playtime, what playful learning looks like in a classroom, how technology is changing children’s play, why adults need recess, too, and what parents can do to encourage more play in their kids’ lives.