Free play helps children learn how to positively interact and connect with each other. Sharing joyful moments of wonder and play creates connections between those engaged in the moment whether it be a child and caregiver(s) or multiple children together. These moments where you share joy, and comfort scaffold the development of future social and emotional skills.

-Reduce Stress through Play-

Through free play children are able to have fun and be themselves without any expectations. During joyful moments of play your body releases endorphins that promote good feelings within yourself. These good feelings help mitigate and chase away feelings of stress and anxiety.

-Processing Difficult Emotions through Play-

Children deal with difficult emotions too and oftentimes these emotions and scenarios can show up within their play. Try to give them space to work through these moments on their own rather than interrupting them. Play can help a child express their feelings when they may not know how to do so verbally.

-Play to Build Confidence-

Being creative, solving problems, and working hard can all show up in moments of children’s play. All of these can give children a sense of feeling good about themselves; feeling competent in their own abilities.

UNICEF. (n.d.). How play strengthens your child’s mental health. UNICEF Parenting. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/how-play-strengthens-your-childs-mental-health

-Leave open space for children to engage in their choice of pretend play

-Offer open-ended toys that can be many different things

-Such toys foster creativity, exploration, and imagination

-These could be wooden blocks, recycled materials, loose parts, etc

-Get outside! Natural environments offer endless opportunities for imagination and open-ended play

Daly, L., Beloglovsky, M., & Knight, J. (2020). Loose parts 4: Inspiring 21st-century learning. Redleaf Press.

Duncan, S., Penix, S., & Haughey, S. (2022). The Honeycomb Hypothesis: How Infants, Toddlers and Two-Year Olds Learn Through Nature Play. Exchange Press.

·       Self-regulation skills

o   Children learn to manage their emotions and behaviors during play with classmates (Danniels & Pyle, 2016).

·       Problem solving skills

·       Conflict resolution skills

·       Social norms

o   Children learn turn taking, sharing, responsibility, cleaning up after oneself, and transitions (Taylor & Boyer, 2020).

·       Communication skills

o   Children share thoughts, feelings, and ideas through play (Taylor & Boyer, 2020).

o   Through pretend play scenarios, where children take on roles and navigate the direction of play, children learn routines of conversations and advanced language skills.

2.       Physical well-being

·       Gross motor skills

o   children are running, jumping, skipping, or catching a ball.

·       Fine motor skills

o   they are involved in scissor skills, zippers, using writing utensils, or doing puzzles.

3.       Psychological well-being (Gray & Skenazy, 2024)

3 basic psychological needs

1. Autonomy: freedom to choose one's own activities

2. Competence: being skilled at what one wants to do

3. relatedness: having friends

Gray, P., & Skenazy, L. (2024). Play More. Independent School, 83(2), 43–47.

1. Babies (non walkers) divided into approximate months (0–3 months, 3–6 months and 6–12 months)

2. Toddlers (walking up to about age 3 years)

3. Pre-schoolers (age 3–5)

Theresa, C., & Juliet, R. (2023, September 6). Loose parts play - A toolkit 2019. Play Scotland. https://www.playscotland.org/resources/loose-parts-play-toolkit-2019-web-2/

• enhanced gross and fine motor development

• fitness levels

• cardiometabolic health

• bone/skeletal health

World Health Organization. (‎2019)‎. Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/311664.

MacNamara, D. (2016). Rest, play, grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or Anyone Who Acts Like One). Aona Management Incorporated.

Based on Gordon Neufeld's approaches, the book illustrates children's needs and emotions. It enables us to connect the "Emotions, thoughts, and views" pathway (Ministry of Education and Child Care, 2024) in ELF and apply it to our daily practices. Recognizing and responding to children's emotional expressions based on our understanding of them can foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity, welcoming children of diverse abilities and needs.

This website provides many resources for physical play for children in their early years, including articles, webinars, and courses. The website's resources enhance educators' expertise in play-based learning and well-being, and support families to know more about their children's interests and needs.

The website's resource reflects the pathway of "Nourishment, sleep, and physical activity" (Ministry of Education and Child Care, 2024). From theories to materials and environments, this website empowers educators with comprehensive knowledge, inspiring them to generate innovative ideas for outdoor and indoor play experiences.

https://play.wales

Delivered through an online platform, these resources are part of an ongoing initiative, enhancing the project's sustainability and longevity. Prior to embarking on their play-based learning journey, educators can conveniently peruse the available resources to gain a comprehensive overview.

This approach saves them valuable time that would otherwise be spent searching for scattered online resources.

Play is integral to well-being and learning.Nurturing a sense of well-being and belonging supports children as they learn about and investigate the world around them.(British Columbia Early Learning Framework, 2019)

Storypark supports outcomes and practices that align with the Early Learning Framework through;

-play-based and inquiry based learning

-facilitating holistic processes through partnerships and collaboration between children and adults

-supporting diverse abilities and needs

-unique professional development opportunities meant to enhance educators sense of belonging

-We will ensure our project aligns with ECEBC Code of Ethics Principle 1: We promote the health and well-being of all children.

-Our resources will reflect our devotion to Principle 2 of the ECEBC Code of Ethics: We provide high-quality early care and learning environments for all children by drawing on specialized knowledge, education, and diverse perspectives.

-ECEBC Code of Ethics Principle 1 will be used to ensure all resources are appropriate and promote well-being in young children

• Offering diverse examples of integrating various play experiences into programs tailored for children.

• Demonstrating the implementation of play-based learning experiences within early learning environments.

• Highlighting the adaptable role of educators, which can be adjusted based on the individual needs of the child and the nature of play.

Children are recognized as co-constructors of knowledge as they engage with people, places, objects, and ideas. Learning and education is envisioned as a continuum as children transition between early years programs, schools and other services (Ministry of Education, 2019).

Our team focused on planning and conducting thorough research, identifying goals, and assigning specific research tasks. By week's end, we compiled findings and refined our plan accordingly.

Week 2 (Feb 19-23): Strategy Development

We individually worked on different aspects of our plan, finalizing our framework and creating a detailed action plan.

Week 3-4 (Feb 26-March 8): Collecting Feedback

We sought feedback from experienced educators, refining our ideas based on play-based learning insights and ensuring alignment with ECEBC code of ethics and Early Learning Framework.

Week 5-6 (March 11-March 22): Implementation

We began implementing our plan, allocating resources, and maintaining open communication channels to address challenges.

Week 7-8 (March 25-April 4): Evaluation and Reflection

We evaluated our connection with ECEBC code of ethics and the Early Learning Framework, reflecting on experiences for improvement and gaining valuable insights for future work.