Excerpts from "Play as Curriculum"
by Francis Wardle, Ph.D.
(For full text, click here.)

Early childhood educators, child development specialists, and some parents believe play is the best way for young children to learn the concepts, skills, and tasks needed to set a solid foundation for later school and life success.

Motor play: Motor play provides critical opportunities for children to develop both individual gross and fine muscle strength and an overall integration of muscles, nerves, and brain functions. Recent research has confirmed the critical link between stimulating activity and brain development. Young children must have ample opportunities to develop physically, and motor play instils this disposition toward physical activity.

Social play: A variety of opportunities for children to engage in social play are the best mechanisms for progressing through the different social stages. By interacting with others in play settings, children learn social rules such as, give and take, reciprocity, cooperation, and sharing.

Constructive play: Children who are comfortable manipulating objects and materials also become good at manipulating words, ideas, and concepts.

Fantasy play: Children learn to abstract, to try out new roles and possible situations, and to experiment with language and emotions with fantasy play. In an ever-more technological society, lots of practice with all forms of abstraction-time, place, amount, symbols, words, and ideas-is essential.

Conclusion: To succeed in an ever-more complex and technological world, our children need a solid foundation based on play. Lots of play at an early age enables children to develop the wide, integrated foundation required for future academic success. It also will develop in our children a love of learning.