Post on 09-Jul-2020
Ignite the spark of playfulness
A play poster to prepare your child for the 21st Century
Exploration 2
2017-2018
This exploration draws parents and teachers into the playful world of the child.
This leaflet was created to accompany a poster that can hang on classroom walls as a starting point for teachers and parents to talk about how and why children need to play, and how to help them. It also shows parents how play will give their children the social, emotional and cognitive skills they need for the 21st century.
Objectives1. Raise awareness of the importance of play
2. Show parents just how much play matters
3. Encourage parents to play with their children, and to let
them play at school and at home
What teachers need1. A burning passion to see playfulness promoted to parents
2. Playfulness poster
3. Leaflet of how to use the poster
4. A wall or door to hang it on
Background and inspirationParents want the best for their children. Teachers want
to help them achieve that goal. With the right support,
children develop skills to give them social, emotional and
even economic stability in the years to come—and it all
begins with play.
The problem, though, is that for many adults the idea
of what is ‘best’ is old-fashioned and not suited to the
challenges of the technological, hyper-connected and
evolving world of the 21st century. And it’s not how
children work.
Teachers can guide parents to understand the most
suitable educational approaches which include literacy
and numeracy as well developing as the social, emotional
and cognitive skills needed to thrive in childhood and in
the workplace. And they can do this by bringing parents
into the child’s world of play.
So, the key aim for this exploration is to remind teachers
and parents what play is about—because that way, they
will support their child’s play in class and at home.
The sparkThis exploration started in a PlayFutures session in South
Africa in 2017. Our focus was on training teachers to
be inspired by playfulness and to share that spark with
parents. When adults rediscover play, they can articulate it
for children.
The bigger ideaThe idea grew at the LEGO Idea Conference 2017 as the
discussion was held in regards to what children need for
the 21st century. The discussion was based on the 10
skills that the World Economic Forum had identified as
skills that employers want for the future. Interestingly to
us, and the reason we took on this approach is because
we often had parents ask us “how is play going to help
my child get a job?”.
Challenge: acceptedThe challenge was to translate the World Economic
Forum’s insights into language that every parent,
teacher and child can understand, using the voice of the
child to convince parents of the importance of play in
preparing children for the future.
The applicationThe LEGO Foundation is training 150,000 teachers in
South Africa in play-based learning, and our plan was to
create a poster and leaflet to support them. The poster
is also being trialled in India and the Philippines in 2019.
The poster - Play: prepares your child for the futureThis poster is based on the 10 skills which the World
Economic Forum has identified that employers will want
in 2020—and frames them in terms of the play skills that
develop them in children, and in the voice of the child.
World economic forum skills
for the workplace in 2020
Play skills on poster
to ignite the spark of playfulness
1 Complex Problem Solving I can solve complex problems
2 Critical Thinking I work things out for myself
3 Creativity I come up with new ideas
4 People Management I get on well with others
5 Coordinating with Others I can be part of a team
6 Emotional Intelligence I look after other people
7 Judgment and Decision Making I make confident judgements
8 Service Orientation I care about other people
9 Cognitive Flexibility I am adaptable and inventive
Ignite the spark of playfulnessPlay is how children explore and make sense of their
world. It allows them to construct relationships with
other people, with their surrounding and between
ideas and concepts. It is their research that allows them
to develop and practice the skills that they will use
confidently as adults tomorrow. Play provides children
with opportunities to explore learning and build on
understanding in a relaxed, meaningful and purposeful
manner in a secure environment.
The poster helps the teachers to help the parents to help the children in a holistic circle of child development and playfulness.
See the poster on the next page.
Authors
Caroline EssameCaroline Essame is the founder, owner and managing director of CreateCATT-
Singapore. A British occupational therapist and creative arts therapist she has a
Masters in education specialising in play based learning. She has worked for over 33
years in the field of creativity and human development and is a passionate advocate
for play for ALL children and of course a PlayFutures Explorer! www.createcatt.com
Marianne ValentineMarianne Valentine is Coordinator of the Early Learning Schools within the INSPIRED
Education Group of International Schools which are present on five continents.
Originally from Scotland, Marianne had been living and working in education in the
town of Reggio Emilia, Italy for over twenty years . The unique experience of the
Reggio Emilia approach to early learning has formed her practice which she now
shares across the world.
Anita KumarAnita Kumar is the Chief Executive Officer of Early Start, a collaborative initiative
located at the University of Wollongong. This initiative aims to give children the
best possible start in life and is primarily focused on delivering better outcomes for
children, particularly those from vulnerable or disadvantaged backgrounds and living
in regional, rural and remote communities.
Linda SmithLinda Smith is Programme Manager at Care for Education, a non-profit organisation
based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Care for Education partners with the LEGO
Foundation to reach Early Childhood Centres and Primary schools, especially those
from disadvantaged backgrounds. They.work with the DUPLO Play Box and Six Bricks
as key manipulatives to impact teaching and learning.
Contact:For questions and comments in regard to this material: Learn@PlayFutures.net
What is PlayFutures? A global research and innovation community launched in 2016, PlayFutures
is convened and funded by the LEGO Foundation. It brings together 1,400
researchers and practitioners to advance and advocate for the knowledge and
practice of learning through play.