All children are hard-wired for independent and social play. When given the space and opportunity to do so, their play ideas form the lessons that they themselves are ready to learn in that moment. Beautifully enough, it is through the observation of our children at play that we begin to truly understand their minds.
When we create space for children to take in, explore, and interpret the world around them we set them up for a love of learning and the natural ability to direct their own development and focus! With access to simple, open-ended materials, children will reenact all that they experience in their environments, and by doing so, they make sense of the evolving world around them.
Play is a pedagogy. It’s a way of knowing. In fact, it’s the only intrinsic and universal way of knowing. Play is work. Play is the work of childhood. Play is the highest form of research.