We Play: Because Childhood Is Not A Race May 10, 2011 Sometimes the learning potential of a child's play is not obvious to see. As adults we look and see boxes and pipe cleaners and scraps of tape... ...where a child delights in a house which needs more decoration, family members adorned with all manner of personal decoration, and vehicles to speed around a city of boxes. Places to go, people to see, conversations to be had. All stemming from the imagination and personal experience of a child. Self initiated play is important for children's learning. Play is the means by which children's experiences are processed and made meaningful. These 'pretend' actions and conversations are an important part of a young child's learning. It is why Immy has open access to recycleables and art materials , both of which she regularly accesses in her play and which assist her as she learns to make independent choices, to combine materials in different ways, and to represent her ideas symbolically. This is learning in action, learning through play. What have you been learning through play this week? To link up to We Play; - Link to the URL of your individual post (not your home page) - Be sure there is a link back to childhood101.com within your post - And I would love you to show some playful love by visiting at least five links and leaving a comment! If you are viewing this post via email or a blog reader