Purpose of the Learning Through Play Experience Tool

We now know that when playful learning experiences have five key elements – joyful, actively engaging, iterative, meaningful and socially interactive – children learn more successfully and develop broader skills.

But what does ‘joyful’ actually look like? Is it always about a child who smiles and laughs, or can their joy also look like struggle and frustration?

The learning through play experience tool helps illuminate the subtle nuances of children’s play to answer this question and others about understanding what quality play is.

The tool makes it possible to observe and then improve children’s playful experiences. It considers play from the child’s point of view and reveals the detail of what the child has experienced.

The tool gives you

• a deep and nuanced understanding of the five characteristics of learning through play.
• a child’s eye-view of what playful experiences look and feel like.
• the information you need to discuss the quality of play and improve its design to give the child a better experience.

The learning through play experience tool is not for evaluating children. It is an observational tool that builds empathy in their parents and educators so that they can collect data on a child’s response to the play experience. They can then use this data to improve the quality of play.