At Sandytots we love play-based learning, it benefits your little one in so many ways, and gives them such a warm welcome into the world of education.
If you’ve ever seen a child turn a cardboard box into a car, or host a tea party for their favourite toys, you’ve witnessed the joy of play-based learning.
For young children, play isn’t just a way to pass the time – it’s how they learn best. Through imaginative games, hands-on exploration and creative storytelling, children can develop essential skills.
In fact, research shows that play is crucial for early childhood development, supporting everything from problem-solving to social connection.
“Play is essential for children’s development. This includes children both leading their own play, and taking part in play that is guided by adults”. – Best start in life part 1
Let’s explore the types of play that guide childhood development and their benefits.
The Benefits of Play-Based Learning
A UNICEF study showed that play creates learning opportunities across all areas of development. For example, while children are playing, they can try out new social skills, like sharing toys and agreeing on how to work together with materials. They often take on some challenging cognitive tasks, such as figuring out how to make a building with smaller blocks when the larger ones are not available.
Children are ‘hands-on’ learners. They acquire knowledge through playful interaction with objects and people.
Types of Play Based Learning
Every type of play helps your little one learn something new. Whether they’re pretending, building, exploring with their senses, or moving around, play helps them grow their minds and bodies.
Let’s take a look at some of the key ways children learn through play!
Imaginative Play
I’m sure many of us remember pretending to cook in toy kitchens or “beeping” items through a toy till and asking for payment from our parents – whether they wanted to “buy” anything or not!
These playful moments felt like pure fun, but they were also powerful learning experiences. Through role-playing, children naturally develop language skills, build social-emotional awareness, spark creativity, and begin to make sense of the world around them. The same holds true today. With the right toys and a little encouragement, you’ll be amazed at the imaginative stories and rich learning that unfold during make-believe play.
Constructive Play
Building towering castles from blocks, piecing together colorful puzzles, or turning cushions into secret hideouts? These are all examples of Constructive Play.
This type of play encourages problem-solving, spatial awareness, fine motor coordination, planning and even practicing patience when their towers wobble and fall. Plus, whether they’re building solo or with friends, constructive play helps them grow in confidence and creativity.
Sensory Play
Sensory play involves any activity that engages a child’s senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste.
Some great examples of sensory play include playing with sand, water, or playdough, mixing colors or textures or even going on nature walks and touching leaves, rocks, or bark.
For babies and toddlers especially, activities that engage multiple senses at once, like listening to a story while feeling different textures, are far more captivating. These kinds of playful experiences not only spark curiosity but also support cognitive development, helping your little one make sense of different sights, sounds, and sensations while also learning how to respond to them.
Physical Play
In the early years, physical play is anything that gets children moving – whether they’re zooming around the garden, kicking balls, hopping like frogs, or spinning in circles just for fun! But it’s not all wild energy.
Physical play also includes the smaller, more focused movements that help build coordination and control. Things like painting at an easel, squeezing playdough, or bringing glove puppets to life all help strengthen those tiny hand muscles. Whether it’s big, bold action or careful, fiddly fun, both types of movement are essential for little bodies to grow strong.
Small World Play
Small world play is a wonderfully imaginative type of play where children use miniature toys, figures, and props to build their own little worlds. From farms with cows and pigs to cities with cars and people, these tiny scenes often reflect familiar experiences – like a trip to the zoo or a day at the beach – giving children a chance to retell stories and make sense of what they’ve seen.
As they set the scene and bring their characters to life, they’re not just playing – they’re problem-solving, storytelling, experimenting, and unlocking their creativity.
Play allows children to engage deeply, follow their interests, and understand the world around them in a meaningful way.
By creating environments that support and encourage purposeful play, we help lay the foundation for confident, capable, and curious lifelong learners.
Speak to your child’s key worker if you would like to find out more about play-based learning.
