Why play? - How to make play an essential part of early education

Play is not a luxury—it's a biological necessity. From early childhood through adulthood, play fuels cognitive growth, emotional resilience, social competence, and physical development. This article and podcast episode explore why play matters, how it shapes learning, and what educators and caregivers must consider to protect and promote it.

Read the article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/why-play-how-to-make-play-an-essential-part-of-early-education/

This episode is sponsored by Funding Loop

Funding Loop automates the process for nurseries of collecting funding forms from parents and typing that information into council portals. Funding Loop is used by over 2000 nurseries including over 80% of the top 25 nursery chains in the UK including Busy Bees.

To find out more visit: https://www.fundingloop.co.uk/home

Our 2026 conference info & tickets:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2026/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:

· Elevating children's thinking: Conceptual understanding through inquiry and play, by Sue Tee - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/elevating-childrens-thinking-conceptual-understanding-through-inquiry-and-play/

· Advocacy, agency and rights in early childhood, by Dr Jo Albin-Clark and Dr Nathan Archer - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/

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Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome and episode introduction
01:36 – Framing the central question: why play?
02:37 – Play as nature's plan for learning and why sitting harms
04:11 – Parental pressure, misinformation and the 'earlier is better' myth
05:03 – A global pushdown of academics in early childhood (US and UK)
05:47 – Educators torn between child development knowledge and policy demands
06:29 – Policymakers' power and Alfie Kohn's analogy
08:22 – Losing play from five onwards and revisiting child development
09:41 – Free play as child-initiated, child-chosen learning
10:24 – Guided play and supporting self-regulation (the statues game)
11:17 – Joy, fun and intrinsic motivation in learning
11:45 – Outdoor, nature and cooperative play versus competition
13:37 – The brevity of childhood and 'what is the hurry?'
14:24 – Knowing when to step back in children's conflicts
15:49 – Understanding and valuing rough and tumble play
16:07 – Risky or adventurous play and learning to assess risk
17:39 – Reading cues for when to intervene in rough and tumble play
18:33 – Rethinking 'calm down' and supporting different arousal states
20:22 – Play as a way to express and process emotions
21:47 – Co-creating rules, personal space and managing movement and sound
23:16 – Developmental readiness for sitting still (around six)
24:10 – Unrealistic expectations of three-year-olds (sitting still and pencil grip)
24:47 – Behaviour as a response to developmental mismatch and lack of movement
25:22 – Fidgeting, movement and alternative ways of paying attention
27:11 – Children who 'don't know how to play' and aggressive play
28:54 – Modelling, scaffolding and gently redirecting play
29:36 – Using invitations and provocations to deepen play
31:55 – 'Play Matters' and reconnecting with theory, research and advocacy
33:32 – Remembering our own childhood joy as a guide for practice
35:35 – Big body play, physical health and strong bodies
36:27 – Integrating literacy and maths through active, playful experiences
37:04 – Multi-sensory, embodied learning and why it sticks
39:13 – Play as integrated, holistic learning across content areas
40:39 – Reflective questions for educators about honouring play
41:33 – Small steps for change and everyday acts of advocacy

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com