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.