At St. Stephen’s C.E. Primary School, play matters! We are continually exploring ways to improve our play offer for all of our children.
Play means doing something for fun, rather than for practical reasons. The beauty of this definition is that there’s no one way to play. Play doesn’t mean just building with blocks or playing with cars. Play is versatile and can be different things to different people.
The benefits of allowing children to play are limitless: each different play type offers unique cognitive and physical benefits to a child’s development and wellbeing. Free play, in which children generate their own games, without a predetermined set of rules or goals is especially important. The social advantages of play are numerous. Engaging in group play develops a child’s team-building skills, communication skills, problem-solving and negotiation skills.
In school, we are looking to recognise our excellent ‘players’. Every month, our super ‘players’ will be presented with a ‘Players’ of the month’ award for exceptional collaborative and imaginative play.
Play really does matter. As Albert Einstein once said, “Play is the highest form of research!”
