Characteristics of playful experiences

So, when we talk about these childhood experiences, we often hear particular characteristics that are associated with these experiences. and what’s really important is it’s not only about the activity, it’s what it makes you feel and the experience you have and things like social interactive, being together with others. In that experience, testing and trying out as you explained. How do I move around? What can I do and be active? Just being allowed to do things without failure. Testing and trying out things. And you know it’s really about things we enjoy doing, even if it’s difficult, but you will allow it to do that and explore that.

So these characteristics are related to experiences we deeply remember, but also how we learn new skills and understand things.

So the world no longer rewards people for what they know. Instead, the reward is for what we can do with what we know. This is the new reality our children face. Life changing technologies, jobs that haven’t even been invented and all sorts of challenges that we can’t foresee. This means that what children learn and how they learn it must also change to look a lot more like the way we naturally learn Through play. But what does that look like in practice? Here are five characteristics of learning through play.

Number one: Actively engaging. 00:01:30.500 –> 00:01:41.000 So coming up with ideas or just learning something new is much more likely when you’re actively engaged.

Does that mean to dance or to jump around? Well, it could, but it doesn’t have to. It’s more about becoming so involved, so invested in what you’re doing, that learning happens naturally. Like when children solve a real world problem that matters to them. As they brainstorm and conduct research interviews, they are immersing themselves in the subject. Or when they demonstrate the same level of involvement with creative technologies. Taking a hands-on approach, building models, and getting immediate feedback when the models are tested. These children are focused, eager to explore and challenge themselves.

Number two: Socially interactive. We can of course play and learn on our own. But when we share our ideas, something happens. We get the chance to see something from another perspective. To explain things, negotiate and then reach a compromise.

We learn to communicate and engage with others.

Like these children. The handyman needs more space for his tools and the kids have decided to help. They’re tackling a problem that’s relevant to them and people they care about. To actually design and build a solution together requires successful social interaction. This is a way for children to practice the most important skill for future jobs well and life in general. Being able to operate in a team.

Number 3: Iterative. Learning isn’t always about being told how to do something correctly. Sometimes it takes a few mistakes to know how to progress.

Keep trying and you’ll get there in the end. This is textbook iterative learning.

And here too. It’s all about testing. Changing something around and then testing it again.

Iterations strengthens critical thinking and reasoning. So it all leads to a deeper sense of what works and why.

Number 4: Joyful. Learning can often take a long time and success can seem far away. Let’s be honest, it’s tough if you’re not enjoying it. But it is a thrill to get somewhere. And as we get more involved, we chase that. Nothing Spurs you on quite like the feeling you get as you’re progressing. It’s also about enjoying a task for its own sake. Joy is a huge motivation to continue learning.

Number 5: Meaningful

When a task makes sense to us and builds on what we know, when we truly care, learning becomes meaningful. These children are going to remember how they went about solving the handyman’s problem, because it meant something to them.

Learning by solving real life problems not only benefits them as individuals, but also their families, their school, their community. And the world. When you really grasp ideas, understand how they connect and eventually apply them in new ways. This is a learning at its deepest.

The world of today and tomorrow is one of challenges. But also tremendous opportunity. Gaining knowledge is one important step. Really, children needed deep understanding, that allows them to apply their knowledge to different situations and then spark new ideas.

This takes practice. Let’s give children a chance.

Let’s build on how children learn through Play.