“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of what is in the child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel

Piaget believed that children construct meaning and learn to understand the world through play. Vygotsky stated that children engaged in playing are always acting within the highest level of their zone of proximal development.

Young children at play are practicing skills and growing in all developmental domains: cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical. When children are playing, they are imagining stories, experimenting, communicating and exploring their world.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain why play is necessary for young children’s growth and development
• Identify different types of play
• Differentiate between divergent and convergent learning materials and understand when and how each should be used in the classroom
• Create curriculum for young children that provides opportunities for child-centered play.