GPS to Learning:
Games, Play and Success 

Many parents want to give their children the best start, and worksheets, tuition and assessment books can seem like the clearest route to success. But a child cannot learn to eat independently by watching adults eat or completing a worksheet about a spoon. They learn by holding the spoon, spilling a little, trying again and slowly becoming more confident.

Games and play give children that same kind of hands-on learning. After all, children do not just need food for thought—they need chances to get their hands on learning too.  Through games and play, children can make choices, share their ideas, take on roles, solve problems and learn with others. When children have voice, choice, enjoyment, interaction and opportunities to think, learning feels meaningful rather than like a task to complete.

Happy, engaged children are more ready to participate, take risks, ask questions and keep trying. Games and play can build language, early numeracy, confidence, problem-solving and resilience in ways that are active, inclusive and memorable. Rather than asking whether children should play or learn, this sharing invites parents to see games and play as essential pathways towards deeper learning and lasting success.