Why play matters more than we think

The learning curve a nord anglia education podcast

Students participating in a literacy learning activity at NAS Dubai, with one child sharing materials while classmates listen during an early years classroom session.

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What if the best learning doesn’t feel like learning at all?

When we picture learning, we often imagine classrooms, textbooks, teachers, and children sitting quietly at their desks.

But some of the most important learning looks very, very different.

It happens when children are building imaginary worlds, inventing games, solving problems with friends, asking questions, taking risks, and following their curiosity. In other words, it’s when they’re playing.

In the latest episode of The Learning Curve, we explore why play isn’t a break from learning but actually one of the ways children learn best.

We discuss how play helps children develop confidence, creativity, resilience, and independence, why boredom isn’t always something to fix, and how parents can create more opportunities for child-led play at home.

The conversation also explores whether we’ve unintentionally made childhood too structured, and why giving children the freedom to explore, imagine, and simply be children may be one of the greatest investments we can make in their future.