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Introduction and Critical Reflection on Play

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Introduction and Critical Reflection on Play

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Since I was young, play has been a regular part of my life, yet this unit enhanced and improved my understanding of what it means. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) explains that through play, children explore and try to understand their social surroundings, joining in with people, objects, and images. I used to see play as something connected to games when I was a kid, but now I realise it helps me stay involved with the world as an adult.

Based on Peter Gray’s points about play, such as being led by a person’s interest, creative, and done without forced goals, I have started spotting playful moments in what I do daily. Any time I experiment with cooking, figure out expenses for shopping, or look through my smartphone, I now enjoy it and use curiosity, practice, and problem-solving to work things out.

This topic has made me realize that the language of maths, science, and technology appears regularly in everyday living. They are important for the way I approach everyday situations, not only for use in a classroom. For example, I have started to look for changes in nature when I am gardening. I always think about how technology affects the ways we do things. Over time, I’ve noticed that play expresses and teaches us at the same time (Aitken, et al., 2025).

This journal will allow me to reflect on my life using what I have learned through playing (Ungunmerr, 1988). I am interested in seeing how my experiences with maths, science, and technology affect how I learn, who I am, and the way I relate to things in my life. Through this process, I am gaining more respect for my area and a stronger connection to the things I study.

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Image of I fill water to different glasses for drinking

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Play and the Language of Maths - Filling Water Experience

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Play and the Language of Maths - Filling Water Experience

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I have started to pay more attention to the amount of water I consume in a single day. I always fill my water bottle in the morning and count how many times I have to refill it. Sometimes I notice I’m always figuring out my wine intake, by adding up litres, checking bottle levels, or jogging my memory from past dates. A lot of the movements in this routine are playful and enjoyable. I find it satisfying and easy, as it simply uses shapes, measuring, counting, volume, capacity and comparing math skills (Edwards, 2021).

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Play and the Language of Maths - Shopping Experience

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Play and the Language of Maths - Shopping Experience

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I also do maths whenever I go grocery shopping. Most of the time, I come up with a spending limit, guess the number of things to buy, look at prices, and regularly work out how much I am spending as I shop. Now and then, I try to spend less than I have budgeted, and it feels enjoyable. Here, budgeting is easy-going and inspired by solving puzzles, not by real need. These moments relate to the math outlined in the EYLF since play helps children discover patterns, count numbers, and use math in real life.

Dr. Chris Matthews points out that mathematics should be linked to culture and everyday living and should be considered a way to understand our world. Now, I consider these basic chores as ways to practice using mathematics (Mathematics Hub, 2025). They point out that play can occur internally, in a quieter way, and may not involve any physical actions. Taking part in maths this way has helped me focus and take control of what happens in my day. My view of maths has progressed from thinking it is abstract to realising it is useful and important in many situations I deal with (Onoshakpokaiye, 2023).

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Play and the Language of Science – Cooking with Fire 

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Play and the Language of Science – Cooking with Fire 

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A highly telling experience I had very recently was when I cooked dinner. When I put on the gas, I stopped to look at the dancing blue flames heating the pot. Watching gas turn to heat, the water bubble and steam, and the food alter in texture and form made me recall energy transfer, combustion, and the three main states of matter. Something that used to be regular became a reason for exploring science. I wondered, why is the process of burning gas so clean. What changes does increasing the pressure have on boiling time? At that moment, I understood how science is a part of everyday things we do.

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Play and the Language of Science - Gardening experience

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Play and the Language of Science - Gardening experience

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I get a similar experience when I tend to my garden at home. I have started growing herbs and a couple of vegetables and I notice how sunlight affects each plant as well as how much water they require. Some plants love full sunlight, and they burn easily if there isn’t shade around them. Noticing the ways that soil, air, water, and sunlight depend on each other has improved my ability to follow natural patterns. I tried out different soil blends and watched how long the soil takes to dry depending on the time it is out in the air. Curiosity about nature, experimentation, and looking for patterns are important parts of this type of science.

In EYLF, scientific thinking in play is observed by observing, forming ideas, and reaching conclusions. My gardening and cooking approaches use the main scientific methods I have learned. When I work with nature and heat, I learn by doing, thinking, and understanding how it impacts everything around me. As a result of these experiences, I realize that science appears in activities such as cooking and gardening, not just in books and laboratory settings.

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Play and the Language of Technology - Using Smart phone experience

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Play and the Language of Technology - Using Smart phone experience

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It feels natural for me to use technology throughout the day, but I no longer realize how much I enjoy playing with it. For example, one way this happened to me was when I edited a picture on my phone by adding a filter. Rather than just pressing buttons, I was changing settings, adjusting the contrast, trying out effects, and picking what I liked. Being spontaneous, exploring, and using creativity are the main features of play. It was not only about the looks, but also about getting to know how digital tools function and how they can express ideas. The smartphone turned into an entertaining way for me to learn (Early Childhood Australia, 2018)

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Play and the Language of Technology - Washing clothes in washing machine experience 

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Play and the Language of Technology - Washing clothes in washing machine experience 

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I am wonder doing laundry in the washing machine and understood it was also an interactive task. I ran clothes through several wash cycles, adjusted the water, and adjusted the temperature depending on the materials I was washing. I tried to find out if I could reduce the detergent and still enjoy clean clothes. Using problem-solving, prediction, and logic in the process fits with the technology concept in the EYLF. So, technology works like an environment where we advance by doing and learning from experience.

It explains in the EYLF that technology in play includes using gadgets to find out new things, connect with others, and solve challenges (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022). A closer look at activities involving machines reveals technology is woven into every part of our lives. Things that seemed repetitive to me in the past have now become full opportunities for mindfulness. They let me notice how technology affects my routines as well as my thoughts and connections with others.

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Reading Stolen Land was very challenging for me. It reminded me that I did not appreciate what I had before: all the land we use and live on always belonged to Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. This place includes no tree, river, or object that was not someone’s relative. That line in the poem is always in my mind. I saw that recognizing Traditional Owners is a way to acknowledge the unfair events and history of settler-colonialism and removal from the land.

Now I know that my life improves due to systems that have taken people from their homes. Stolen Land paints Australian history differently, showing it was filled with disruptions in relationships, communication, and lives caused by deliberate actions. It is now impossible to just leave this awareness in the background of my life as usual. It requires us to pause, and action is what counts most.

Though I am not Indigenous, I accept and understand that I am a settler. It does not make me responsible for what happened in the past, but it does make me active in the present. I am now studying the Traditional Owners of the place I am living. Nowadays, I have begun stating Acknowledgement of Country in my writing and taking part in events that feature important Indigenous voices. Though they appear small, these steps are intentional. I no longer wish to do anything about unjust issues.

The place contains historical, cultural, and spiritual dimensions as well as a physical one. My respect requires me to hear, understand, and unite with others. You occupy a space that does not belong to you. What measures can you take to deal with it? That question no longer seems like it has one obvious answer to me. It affects people personally and right away (Hamm & Boucher, 2017).