By Karen D'Souza, Photo: Liv Ames/EdSource Today, December 8, 2021
When it comes to early childhood education, child’s play may well be serious business. Fun and games bring more than just joy. They may be the key to helping children thrive in tough times, experts say.
Since young children don’t often have an opportunity to exercise choice and control, free play can be a liberating experience, nurturing independence and relieving stress. A growing body of research is making the case for play as a way to boost the well-being of young children as the pandemic drags on and concerns over learning loss and mental health issues escalate.
Play is such a powerful force, some research suggests, that it can be used as a tool to close achievement gaps in children ages 3 to 6. One recent report, which analyzed 26 studies from 18 countries, found that in disadvantaged communities from Rwanda to Ethiopia, children showed significantly greater learning gains in literacy, motor and social-emotional development when attending child care centers that use a mix of instruction and free and guided play as opposed to those that focus solely on academics.
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