All children are engrossed in exploration and play in order to comprehend and make sense of

the world around them. To analyse the importance of play during the early years I offer a brief
summary in this reflection of mine. Learning through play for Piaget was defined as a
movement through practice play, imaginative play, and continuing on to play with a set of rules.
On the other hand, Vygotsky thought that children could be assisted in moving from their level
of performance to a level of what they could have a potential of doing. Vygotsky believed the
zone of proximal development was created through play which was when children could,
"operate at their highest possible cognitive level" (Smidt, 2006, p. 46). As children make sense
of the world around them Vygotsky thought that those who expressed themselves through
imaginary play stood a 'head taller'. This meant that in pretend play, "children reveal more about
what they know and can do than in other activities" (Smidt, 2006, p. 46). Like Piaget he
acknowledged that play developed into those with rules but highlighted the importance of the
social nature of learning through play.
Children also build on their fine and gross motor skills during play. Suitable outdoor play areas
that are set up to encourage this development are essential in early childhood settings in my
opinion. If these environments are not available teachers should explore nearby outdoor parks or
playgrounds to promote play. Unfortunately a number of children today spend a great deal of
time indoors as they watch television and should be encouraged to explore outdoor
environments to play.
In Steiner kindergartens children are exposed to experiences that generally occur at home like
cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening, and building. These activities provide a link to what
happens at home and creates a sense of well-being and security for the children who can relate
to those particular activities. Children are encouraged to use their fantasy in imaginary play and
are exposed to resources that stimulate this type of play. Generally these resources are natural
items and materials that are quite often unfinished. The logic behind this is that, "an 'unfinished'
toy leaves children free to exert their imaginations, a 'finished' toy ties the child to a certain
group of activities". For example, if a child has a yellow taxi, play is limited to activities around
taxis. Whereas, if the child had a plain wooden car, imaginary play could involve a number of
endless possibilities from which the child can extend and initiate their own play.
In conclusion, children learn through play that they discover for themselves in their own
environment. Play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional development and is essential for
physical development during the early years. Te Whriki states that, "Children learn through
play - by doing, by asking questions, by interacting with others, by setting up theories or ideas
about how things work and trying them out, and by the purposeful use of resources" (Ministry
of Education, 1996). Play eventually leads to creative thinking, and through what they are doing
children can reflect on their own play to answer questions and solve problems for themselves to
develop an understanding of the world around them.