Choosing Time / Free Play

Play & Learn ---- Choosing Time

Here at Woodborough Village Preschool, we provide plenty of daily opportunities for children to have free choice to play with what they wish, ultimately because we understand the value of play.

Play is meaningful

Children play to make sense of the world around them, and to find meaning in an experience by connecting it to something already known. Through play, children express and expand their understanding of their experiences.

Play is joyful

Look at children – or adults – playing, often smiling and laughing. Of course, play may have its frustrations and challenges (Who gets the first turn? Why can’t I make this block building stay up?), but the overall feeling is one of enjoyment, motivation, thrill and pleasure.

Play is actively engaging

Watch children playing, and you will usually see that they become deeply involved, often combining physical, mental and verbal engagement.

Play is iterative

Play and learning are not static. Children play to practice skills, try out possibilities, revise hypotheses and discover new challenges, leading to deeper learning.

Play is socially interactive

Play allows children to communicate ideas, to understand others through social interaction, paving the way to build deeper understanding and more powerful relationships