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Play fuels discovery. As Vygotsky once said:
“[…] play contains all developmental tendencies in a condensed form and is itself a major source of development.”
Today I’d like to talk to you about the importance of play in early childhood, as well as about how the activities in the Workshops and Spaces provide meaningful experiences.
Why play matters in early childhood education
If you give children freedom, they start exploring boldly, without fear, testing hypotheses and building knowledge. For instance, when they distribute material, the first notions of quantity begin to emerge: through organizing their collections, students discover, without formulae, number decomposition.
Adding stories, art, music, or gross motor skill activities multiplies learning. A story with a repeating sequence sparks logic, an art session filled with shapes and colors sharpens spatial reasoning, while a song with a rhythm can reinforce counting. Each form of expression adds nuance and connects learning to everyday life, which in turn builds an even stronger foundation for knowledge.
In free play, you can introduce mathematical aspects such as counting, comparing, connecting, and measuring. It’s fascinating to observe how each student progresses, plays, and connects ideas through symbolic play, art, construction, and board games.
Two free play examples
The following videos show how math emerges through free play, how materials can encourage students to explore content and processes, and how conversations among peers can enhance learning:
This video prompts the question: “How are the students interacting? What mathematical content and processes are they working on naturally?”
You can see two students who, out of all the materials, choose the hoops and classify them by color, helping each other correct their mistakes. In this Heuristic Play Space, students work on Change and Relationships (because they apply a particular classification criterion to the objects), as well as Reasoning and Proof.
Here, you might ask: “How does the student in this video act compared to the previous one?”
In this case, the student chooses a specific type of material individually (the corks) and places it in a tray.
I hope this letter has helped you deepen your understanding of how to support mathematical thinking through play in early childhood. Children need to play!
Big hug,
Judith
Judith’s Letters
Sometimes I wonder if what I propose or do in the classroom really makes an impact.
I guess I’m not the only one. As early childhood teachers, we know this well: no one is born knowing how to teach. And still, every day, we give it our all.
Many of you write to me with questions, concerns, or ideas. I try to answer you with the same honesty I put into my letters: with my feet firmly in the classroom and my heart in everything we do.
Each month, I write a letter with care and excitement. To support you. To share ideas. To help you enjoy early math more — and better.
Many teachers are already receiving them, and honestly, I’m deeply inspired by what they share with me. It’s a living exchange where we all learn together 💜.
If you’d like to receive them too, just click here — and you’ll start getting them in your inbox each month.
