The Power of Physical Play Development and Effective Learning

Streaming video - 2014

Physical play is the first type of play to emerge but also the least researched and most neglected by educators. However this is rapidly changing as educators realize just how vital it is from many points of view. Inbuilt psychological drives mean that children want to be able to do things for themselves and physical play leads to children becoming adept at using their bodies. Being motivated to succeed at tasks is an important factor in effective learning and so physical play lays down blueprints in the brain resulting in individuals beginning to develop as effective learners. They begin to learn what it’s like to do things on your own and be self regulated. Physical play, as with all types of play, is under the child’s control so they... can push themselves as far as they feel they can go. They motivate themselves to master skills and in the process learn to manage risk and become independent. The film shows many examples of physical play involving both gross and fine motor development. Starting from babyhood and progressing through the whole of the early years we can see the way different types of activity develop balance, different muscles and abilities, determination and concentration. Each sequence provides an example of an aspect of physical play that promotes development and also is a good example of effective learning and self regulation. Leading on from this there is a range of useful information about how practitioners can best support physical play. The film has been made in conjunction with Dr. David Whitebread from Cambridge University who carries out research on children’s play and its importance for learning. more