EDPE 507 - The Importance of Play & the Developing Child (3)

Play is a vital part of children’s learning and development, and yet parents and educators alike see fewer and fewer opportunities for play in our children’s schedule. Although play is often differentiated from work, there are ways to pair learning with play. Students can meet their developmental and learning needs while engaged in activities that they find fun and interesting.

In this course, you will learn practical strategies for incorporating play into classroom activities. In addition to reviewing the benefits of play, you will cultivate resources for finding or creating play activities that suit various play types, subject areas, and grade levels. Free play is also an important aspect of children’s development. You’ll examine why free play has been declining and how you can encourage this type of play as well as self-directed learning.

With the knowledge and tools from this course, you will be able to transform your classroom into a place where your students don’t distinguish between “work” and “play” and instead engage in learning with the same openness and enthusiasm you see on the playground.