National Playgroup week: A child’s job is to play

Education starts at the age of five. That’s what many policy makers will have us believe. Until recently, the idea of learning has been confined to the time of entry into the formal schooling system. This, however, sits strangely with our own learning.

A growing weight of research is beginning to shed light on the importance of early childhood – 0-4 years – as a period of development in which so many capabilities are formed, so many opportunities for future development are created and, sadly, lost or limited.

This week all across Australia from Glenorchy to Broome, thousands of children and families will celebrate the importance of play to mark National Playgroup Week.

As adults, we forget that learning is a natural experience for children. Instead we focus too much on what we think children must learn to ‘succeed’ rather than celebrating the experience of new sensations, sounds and activities.

As adults we focus on schools and other education institutions that provide structured and recognised curriculum using particular teaching methods to produce narrowly defined results in largely inflexible settings.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not a call for greater emphasis or regulation on education in pre-school settings. Rather it is a call to recognise and respect the natural opportunities for learning that exists for children in their early years. In particular it is to remind us that it is a child’s job to play.

Save the Children Australiahas this week published a report by Griffith University that highlights the importance and effectiveness of childhood care and playgroup programs.

The report states that playgroups help expose children aged zero to five to new experiences that develop their sensory, social, communications and cognitive skills through play-based activities. It found that intensive supported playgroups helped families build connections to both the community and local services in order to stabilise their circumstances.

Further benefits include an increased sense of wellbeing, expansion of social networks, and parents experiencing less stress, more social stimulation and more community connection.

A child’s learning as they play, particularly as they grow and they begin to play with other children, is invaluable as it develops a range of vitally important skills. These skills are the building blocks for what we as adults call ‘education’ but also for social and physical interaction with the outside world.

We should not take these opportunities for granted. Many children are not able to assert and claim their right to play. Even in Australia not all families have access to safe and appropriate places for their children to play: for example, newly arrived families living in unfamiliar environments without the knowledge and the means to tap into available community resources.

In many communities, isolation and disadvantage combine to prevent access to safe play environments. Some families in the battle for economic and social survival are not able to give appropriate priority to the fundamental importance of providing their children with the opportunity to play.

Playgroups can provide children with their first experience of contact with other children outside their own family. Children learn skills about sharing and getting along with other children and become familiar with routine. There are opportunities to explore cultural difference – not just for the child but also for the family. For many newly arrived families, a playgroup may be the first opportunity to engage with Australian social norms and find out about available services – in a safe and supportive environment.

We should not underestimate the importance of feeling safe for many families who have struggled with conflict, violence, natural disaster, exile, trauma, poor health, insufficient nutrition and stable environments.

Sadly many families in established communities still lack the access to the necessary information and resources to provide their children with safe places to play. The impact of alcohol and family violence can challenge a family’s ability to give priority to their children’s safety and development. Once again a playgroup can offer safety and the space for a child to learn to trust and share.

So often a playgroup is a safe and neutral space that not only provides a caring learning environment for children but also respite for parents and family. It is an environment that can become a natural extension of family and community but at the same time a place to explore new learning and insights – once again not only for children but also for stressed and isolated families.

Meanwhile these positive contacts with other children and their families that can be experienced within a supported playgroup will be crucial for social development, school readiness, understanding of community values and opportunities for community engagement and employment.

This week let’s celebrate the opportunities that playgroup provides for children and families and make sure that every Australian child has the right to play and learn.