How Do Children Learn Through Play? Our Approach to Early Years Learning

Watch a toddler fill a bucket with water, tip it out and fill it again. It can look like they're just passing the time, but they're testing an idea, seeing what happens and trying again. That's learning through play, and it underpins how children learn in their first five years.

In this guide we explain what learning through play means, what England's early years framework and the research say about it, what it looks like at each age, and how play shapes every day in our nurseries.

The short answer:

Children learn through play by exploring, experimenting, solving problems and practising skills in ways that interest them. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the statutory framework for every nursery in England, puts it plainly: "Play is essential for children's development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals, and solve problems." (Department for Education, 2026)

What is Learning Through Play?

Learning through play (also called play-based learning) is an approach where play is the main way children build knowledge and skills. Sometimes children lead the play themselves. At other times an adult sets up an activity or joins in to stretch their thinking.

UNICEF's 2018 brief on learning through play describes five characteristics that turn play into learning (UNICEF, 2018):

• Joyful. Children are motivated because they're enjoying it, even when there's some frustration along the way.
• Meaningful. Children "play to make sense of the world around them," linking new experiences to what they already know.
• Actively engaging. Children get absorbed, often using their bodies, minds and words at once.
• Iterative. Children try things, revise their ideas and try again.
• Socially interactive. Play gives children a way to share ideas and understand other people.

You can read more about how imaginative play supports development in our blog on The Importance of Role Play in Early Years or explore the broader Benefits of Nursery for your child’s learning and confidence.

Why Play Matters: What The Evidence Says

Play isn't a break from learning. Here's what the framework and the research say:

• The EYFS makes play central. The framework says children learn "by leading their own play, and by taking part in play and learning that is guided by adults," and that practitioners must respond to "each child's emerging needs" through "warm, positive interactions coupled with secure routines for play and learning" (DfE, 2026).
• Paediatricians call play "brain building". The American Academy of Pediatrics' clinical report The Power of Play links play to social, emotional, language and cognitive skills and executive function. It also describes play as a buffer against the effects of stress (Yogman et al., Pediatrics, 2018).
• UK evidence is positive but still growing. The Education Endowment Foundation's Early Years Toolkit finds that play-based learning has a positive effect of around +4 months' progress on average, especially in early language, literacy and numeracy. It also notes that the evidence base is limited and that most studies looked at adult-guided play (EEF).

What does this mean for parents? Play works best when children have time and freedom to explore, and when adults are close by to notice, talk and gently extend what's happening.

How children learn through play: the three characteristics of effective learning

The EYFS sets out three characteristics of effective teaching and learning (DfE, 2026, para 1.18). They describe how children learn, and play brings out all three.

Learning through play across the seven EYFS areas

The EYFS has seven areas of learning: three prime areas (communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development) and four specific areas (literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; expressive arts and design). Play can support every one of them.

Learning through play examples by age

Babies (0–2 years)

Babies learn through their senses and through relationships. Good play at this age includes treasure baskets of everyday objects, peekaboo, songs with actions, tummy time and lots of back-and-forth "conversation" with a familiar adult.

For more ideas, see our guide to sensory play for babies.

Toddlers (2–3 years)

Toddlers' language and imagination develop quickly. Pretend play (cooking, caring for dolls, "going shopping"), filling and emptying, simple puzzles, messy play and running, climbing and dancing all build words, coordination and early social skills like sharing.

Try these sensory play ideas.

Pre-schoolers (3–5 years)

Pre-schoolers play together in longer, more complex games. Construction, small-world play, board games, early mark-making and outdoor challenges build early literacy and numeracy, problem-solving and friendships, all of which help children get ready for school.

For seasonal inspiration, see our autumn activities for toddlers and nursery activity ideas.

Child-led and adult-guided play: getting the balance right

The EYFS doesn't prescribe one teaching approach. It expects a mix of play that children lead and play that adults guide (DfE, 2026, para 1.16).

• Child-led play gives children ownership. They choose what to do, follow their interests and set their own challenges.
• Adult-guided play is where an educator sets up an activity with a learning goal in mind, or joins in to model language, ask open questions or offer the next step.

The psychologist Lev Vygotsky described the gap between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help as the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, Mind in Society, 1978). Good adult support in play works in that gap: enough help to stretch a child, but not so much that the adult takes over. UNICEF describes the adult's role as being "to enable and scaffold playful experiences and learning" (UNICEF, 2018).

How learning through play works at My Ohana

Our nurseries care for children from 3 months to 5 years. Our approach blends ideas from several respected early years philosophies, with the EYFS as the framework that holds it all together.

You can read the full detail on Our Approach page.

Here's how it shapes play.

• A key person for every child. Each child has a key person they get to know from the start. The EYFS also requires this. A secure relationship gives children the confidence to explore.
• Independence (inspired by Montessori). Child-height rooms and open shelves let children choose their own activities, in the spirit of the Montessori principle "help me to do it myself."
• An environment that teaches (inspired by Reggio Emilia). We think carefully about our rooms, with natural light, mirrors, children's own work on the walls and many different ways for children to express their ideas.
• Curiosity and open-ended materials (inspired by the Curiosity Approach). We use real, natural materials and open-ended "loose parts" with no fixed outcome, so a basket of shells or wooden rings can become anything a child imagines.
• Outdoor learning. Children spend time in the garden planting, growing, climbing and taking on challenges that suit their age.
• Learning that's tracked against the EYFS. Our educators observe children at play, plan next steps and track progress against the EYFS. This makes sure play leads to real development.
• Mind, Body, World and safeguarding. We nurture the whole child through four themes, each with its own character:
  • Mind, with Kumu the Curiosity Champion: resilient thinking, emotional intelligence and confident communication
  • Body, with Lani the Wellbeing Friend: healthy habits through active play, routines and movement
  • World, with Nalu the Eco Explorer: inclusion, respect for traditions and caring for the world around us
  • Safeguarding, with Ono the Safety Guardian: trained, vigilant teams and calm, secure routines

Read more about holistic child development, or see what a day with us looks like.

How to support learning through play at home

You don't need special toys. A few simple habits help:

1. Follow their lead. Notice what your child is interested in and join in rather than redirecting.
2. Talk while you play. Describe what they're doing, ask open questions ("What do you think will happen?") and leave pauses for answers.
3. Choose open-ended things. Boxes, blocks, pans, fabric, natural objects and paper can be used in many ways.
4. Let them struggle (a little). Wait a moment before helping, so they can have a go first.
5. Get outside. Puddles, leaves, sticks and stones are full of learning.
6. Repeat. Doing the same thing again and again is how children master it.

FAQs about learning through play

What is meant by learning through play?

Learning through play means children build knowledge and skills by exploring, experimenting and interacting during play, whether they lead it themselves or an adult guides it. The EYFS describes play as "essential for children's development" (DfE, 2026).

Why is learning through play important?

Play builds confidence, language, social skills, physical skills and problem-solving. The American Academy of Pediatrics links it to brain development and executive function (Yogman et al., 2018).

What are the 5 characteristics of learning through play?

According to UNICEF, learning through play is joyful, meaningful, actively engaging, iterative and socially interactive (UNICEF, 2018).

What does the EYFS say about learning through play?

The EYFS says play is essential for children's development and that children learn "by leading their own play, and by taking part in play and learning that is guided by adults." Its three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically (DfE, 2026).

What is Vygotsky's theory of learning through play?

Vygotsky argued that children learn best with support from a more experienced adult or peer, working in the gap between what they can do alone and what they can do with help, which he called the zone of proximal development. In play, this looks like an adult or older child helping a child take the next step.

What are some examples of learning through play?

Treasure baskets and peekaboo for babies, pretend play and messy play for toddlers, and construction, small-world play and simple board games for pre-schoolers. Each builds language, thinking and physical skills.

How does play support learning at My Ohana?

Every child has a key person. Our educators blend ideas from Montessori, Reggio Emilia and the Curiosity Approach within the EYFS, and they observe children's play to plan next steps. Read about our approach.

Ready to see learning through play in action?

If you’d like to explore how My Ohana nurtures a love of learning through play, get in touch with us to learn more about availability across our nurseries.

Sources

• Department for Education (2026). Early years foundation stage statutory framework for group and school-based providers, effective 1 September 2026.
• Department for Education. Development Matters: non-statutory curriculum guidance for the EYFS.
• Education Endowment Foundation. Early Years Toolkit: Play-based learning.
• UNICEF (2018). Learning through play: Strengthening learning through play in early childhood education programmes.
• Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R.M. (2018). The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children. Pediatrics, 142(3). AAP summary.
• Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.