How learning through play is critical in early childhood development  

For adults, playing may be limited to just a cathartic exercise that helps to unwind. However, playing is critical for children as it helps develop essential skills that will last a lifetime.

“Play is the natural language of childhood. Through play, children imagine, express, explore and understand the world around them,” said Deputy Managing Director and Senior Director Education and Outreach, Sesame Workshop International South Africa (SWISA) Mari Payne.

Payne was speaking at the Sesame Workshop’s Advocacy Event in Northriding Johannesburg recently.

The workshop presented findings of a five-year, multi-media research that aimed to boost learning through play skills among educational leaders, educators, caregivers, and social workers who worked with little ones in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.

Sesame Workshop, the global impact non-profit behind Sesame Street, and the LEGO Foundation’s Play to Learn Impact Evaluation Study took place in the Free State and the Eastern Cape, in 2023, and the programme reached over 138,000 children.

The study set out to supercharge the abilities of educators and caregivers, to bring the power of play-based learning into the lives of young children everywhere.

Regional Director for Africa at the LEGO Foundation Kerry Kassen was pleased to be part of this initiative.

“Because Learning Through Play (LTP) is a critical vehicle for education and advancing childhood development. We want to empower caregivers and educators with the knowledge of how Learning Through Play benefits children’s holistic development,” she said.

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Understanding the link between learning and play

“From birth to age six, when the brain develops rapidly, play offers rich experiences that accelerate the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional growth of a child. The challenge though, is that educators and caregivers do not always see the value of play or its link with learning,” averred Payne.

With this in mind, in 2018, Sesame Workshop and the LEGO Foundation partnered to address this need – to demonstrate the importance of caregivers understanding this valuable link between learning and play. 

Following the research results, a panel discussion hosted by media personality Elana Afrika Bredenkamp was held and made up of education experts from the likes of UNISA, UNICEF and the South African Department of Basic Education, found that Learning Through Play (LTP) a critical vehicle for education and advancing childhood development.

Fathima Rawat from Sesame Workshop led an interactive activity to present the Play to Learn Impact Evaluation findings while demonstrating the power of Learning Through Play.

“Our mission was to supercharge the abilities of these educators and caregivers, to bring the power of play-based learning into the lives of young children everywhere. This research coincided with four brand-new seasons (Seasons 11-14) of the popular children’s show, Takalani Sesame hitting the airwaves,” said Payne. 

Payne further explained, “We had four exciting prongs of programming: caregiver workshops, training of educators, training of social workers and the training of play promoters.”

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