That joyfulness can extend even to the more mundane lessons, like learning new vocabulary, which historically has involved ...

Parents visiting their children’s kindergarten class for the first time may think they’ve arrived at the wrong room, especially if they expect it to resemble the kindergarten they attended as ...

Connecticut teachers want you to know that “play-based learning” is not an oxymoron. For years child development and education experts have praised the benefits of play-based learning — a pedagogy ...

Play is often viewed as the natural language of childhood. But beyond simply being fun, play is a vital component of early learning. Play-based learning is an educational approach that leverages play ...

As a play researcher, I applaud the state legislature for mandating play-based learning in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school classrooms. Play has a powerful effect on development and ...

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — The Tumwater School District has implemented mandatory play-based learning across all kindergarten classrooms, requiring one hour of daily free play while maintaining ...

One of my earliest posts here concerned the definition of play, which I developed further in an article on “Definitions of Play” for Scholarpedia (Gray, 2013) and in my book Free to Learn. I first ...

Babies are curious and seek new information to get familiar with their environment. The first five years are a foundational period during which most of their cognitive development occurs. By blending ...

Well-designed projects help students build valuable skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.