Facilitating Child-Initiated Play
Child-initiated play is an essential part of early years practice, allowing children to explore, make choices, develop independence and follow their own interests. Practitioners play a key role in creating an environment where children feel confident to investigate, be creative and learn through meaningful experiences. Here are our top tips for facilitating effective, child initiated play.
Child-initiated play top tips
- Create an enabling environment – provide accessible, open-ended resources that children can choose and use independently. Organise spaces that invite exploration, creativity and curiosity
- Follow children’s interests – observe what children are fascinated by and build on these interests through resources, experiences and conversations
- Give children time and space – allow long, uninterrupted periods of play so children can become deeply engaged and develop their ideas
- Be a play partner – join children’s play, follow their lead and extend their learning through meaningful interactions
- Use open-ended questions – Encourage thinking with questions like “I wonder what might happen?” or “How could we do that another way?”
- Provide open-ended and real-life resources – offer loose parts, natural materials and everyday objects that encourage imagination, problem-solving and creativity
- Observe before intervening – give children opportunities to solve problems, take appropriate risks and develop independence before stepping in
- Plan from children’s play – use observations to adapt the environment and provide experiences that support children’s developing interests and learning.
NDNA products to support you with this activity
- Recorded webinar – Natural play and learning
- Recorded webinar – Play, pretend, learn
- Developing high-quality practice (F2F)
Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.
- MyNDNA
- Tips
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