3 Keys to Supporting Free Play

To all the caregivers out there who choose the challenging path of trusting in the child's ability to navigate her own learning through self-chosen play, we applaud you! This beautiful quote by Sally Wright really sums up that choosing this route is certainly not the easy path. And in a world where structured and educational play, led by the adult, is increasingly prevalent, it’s certainty not always the common path either.?

Going against the grain in this way isn’t easy but it may help to know that there is so much emerging research that tells us that allowing children to lead their own learning is the most effective way to foster holistic development and set them up for adult life.?

When children are truly free to follow their innate curiosities in a safe - yet appropriately challenging – environment, and with limited adult intervention, the skills they learn are quite phenomenal. Children build emotional resilience through trial and error where they give something a go and find a new way if it doesn’t work. They learn to express and refine their creativity and imagination – the foundation for later abstract thinking – by coming up with rich and meaningful play experiences. And they develop a love of learning, which is grounded in a belief that they are capable of finding answers to their own questions, rather than always looking to the adult.

So how can we best support this free play and what is our role within it? Some educational theorists, especially those who sit outside the mainstream paradigm, state that, unless there is a safety issue to deal with, there simply is no place for the adult in the child’s play. While this hard and fast rule may work for some, others may need to find their own balance that feels right to them.?

In our experience working with children, we have found that there are 3 keys to navigating when, and how, to intervene in children’s play. The first is that of?observation. Taking time to sensitively watch the child at play before even contemplating stepping in to it, helps us to better understand the true learning that is unfolding in the moment.?

The second golden rule is to?always, always be the follower?rather than the leader.?When you think about it, the majority of a child’s life is spent following the adult’s lead because we are responsible for deciding how the child spends his day. When play belongs fully to the child, he is empowered to follow his interests and engage in learning that is truly meaningful to him and his developmental footprint.

The last key is that of?mindfulness -?a skill that, when cultivated, can make the biggest impact on our caregiving practice. In relation to play, this means checking in with ourselves before intervening and asking ourselves “why am I about to step in?” and “will this help or hinder the child’s holistic learning in this moment?” This allows us to make sure we’re acting in a way that adds to the child’s play, rather than unconsciously reacting out of habit, past triggers or learnt behaviours.

For more tips and tricks around caring for children, click here.

To find your ideal nanny, click here.