Learning Through Play

Play is thinking time for young children. It is language time. Problem-solving time. It is memory time, planning time, investigating time. It is organization-of-ideas time, when the young child uses his mind and body and his social skills and all his powers in response to the stimuli he has met.

--James L. Hymes, Jr., child development specialist, author

At Come and Play Pre-school, we believe in the importance of providing rich opportunities for children to develop a range of social skills, which are key building blocks for future learning. These skills are developed through play, whether independently, alongside or in co-operation with other children.

Good quality 'play' is not just a matter of putting out toys for children to play with. It involves careful planning to provide a variety of resources to stimulate children with varying interests and styles of learning. Children at Come and Play are offered a range of experiences, and the Pre-school staff's job is to observe, interact and extend the children's learning, whilst, of course, demonstrating new skills to the children, across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.