Below you will find several documents, websites, and videos that can help improve your understanding of the benefits of play-based learning.

• CMEC Statement on Play-Based Learning

  • explains that play-based learning is a powerful and research-supported way children learn and develop. Highlights that play helps children build thinking, problem-solving, social, and language skills, and shows that play and learning should be connected—not treated as separate. 

    • https://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/282/play-based-learning_statement_EN.pdf

• Play to Thrive

  • Play to Thrive explains why play is important for children’s learning and development. It shows that children learn best when they are active, curious, and engaged in play.

    • https://drjeanclinton.com/wp-content/uploads/Play-To-Thrive-FINAL.pdf

• The joy of learning through play

  • explains how play-based learning supports children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development while helping them build important academic skills. Describes different types of play, such as free play and guided play, and shows how both help children learn through active, hands-on experiences. 

    • https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/EarlyYears/docs/Info%20play-based-learning-info.pdf

• Practice Note Play-Based Learning

  • explains how play-based learning is a key part of professional practice for educators and is supported by research, curriculum, and policy. Describes how educators use their knowledge of child development to create meaningful, play-based experiences that support children’s learning and growth. 

    • https://www.college-ece.ca/en/Documents/Practice_Note_Play-Based_Learning.pdf

• Play-based learning in a culture of inquiry

  • explains that play-based learning is at the center of the kindergarten program and helps children learn through curiosity, exploration, and inquiry. It shows that play and learning are connected, and that educators support children’s thinking by asking questions, observing, and building on their ideas. 

    • https://www.ontario.ca/document/kindergarten-program-2016/play-based-learning-culture-inquiry

• Why Play? - The Importance of Protecting Play

  • www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/why-play 

• Play: The Foundation of Children's Learning 

  • www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/play-the-foundation-of-childrens-learning 

• Embracing Learning Through Play

  • www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/23/05/embracing-learning-through-play 

• Learning through play: what the science says

  • learningthroughplay.com/explore-the-research/the-scientific-case-for-learning-through-play 

• Defining Play-Based Learning

  • www.child-encyclopedia.com/pdf/expert/play-based-learning/according-experts/defining-play-based-learning 

• For Young Kids, The Power of Play-Based Learning

  • www.edutopia.org/article/young-kids-power-play-based-learning/ 

"Play is the primary way children were designed to learn."

Kathy Hersh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff

Contemporary American psychologists