Play-based learning: Selected reading

This article has been published as part of the Rethinking Curriculum project, kindly funded by The Helen Hamlyn Trust.

This is a collection of research articles, case studies, webinars and other relevant resources to further develop your understanding of a play-based approach. We have ensured that these are open access or available to members of The Chartered College of Teaching. 

The resources collated here will not provide a recipe for what you should do. Some of the articles will also present opposing viewpoints, and ones which may contradict your own viewpoint or experience. They will provoke thought, debate and discussion. We encourage you to read and appraise the literature to make informed decisions based on your local context, professional experience and other available research evidence. 

Resources from the Chartered College of Teaching

N.B. Please note that non-members can only access three articles per month. Join today to get full access to all resources provided on our platform.

• This short article provides a brief overview of what is meant by a ‘play-based curriculum’  and briefly outlines the implications of this approach for practitioners. 
• This research article summarises the findings of a study conducted with Year 1 pupils across nine primary schools, examining the impact of play-based pedagogies.
• This research article summarises the findings of a study conducted with six rural primary schools.  This study is underpinned by the belief that arts partnership programmes may offer benefits and positive impacts for students involved, yet it focuses on the teacher’s function within such partnerships, exploring the notion that the approach of the teacher is as essential to the effectiveness of the project as the arts professionals are themselves.
• This article explores how pretend play can be integrated in the classroom for four-to-five-year-olds with English as an additional language (EAL), through the design of a pretend play intervention which is based on storybook reading and subsequent role-playing and incorporates explicit phonological awareness and vocabulary instruction. 
• This article explores the evidence-base underpinning a play-based approach at Key Stage 1, examining the benefits and potential barriers of adopting this approach. 
• This article explores the role of parents and carers in facilitating play. It provides a range of practical recommendations to help encourage parents and carers to engage in play with their child/children. 
• This perspective article explores the false dichotomy between a play-based approach and the pressure to cover the curriculum and secure academic outcomes.
• This perspective article makes the case for using guided play to develop Early Years maths skills, providing practical recommendations for teachers.
• This perspective article explores the value of play-based approaches in successful transition from Early Years to Year 1.
• This video interview with Dr Sara Baker, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education, University of Cambridge, explains the important role of play in early child development. 
• This video resource, provided by the Youth Sport Trust, explains the important role of play in preparing a child for school.
• This classroom practice video shows practitioners supporting young children’s learning at Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre in east London. More specifically, it demonstrates how guided play can support the development of communication skills.
• This research article summarises the findings of a study conducted with 15 Early Years teachers teaching in 14 inner city schools in England. The aim of the study was to capture teachers’ perspectives as they reflect on their pedagogies of mathematical play.
• This research article summarises the findings of a study conducted with 70 Year 2 classes and their teachers from 70 primary schools in and around London. The aim of the study was to capture teachers’ experiences of using a play-based intervention to support Year 2 children’s understanding of grammar.
• This research article outlines the findings of a study seeking to understand teachers’ perceptions of risky play in early childhood education.

Other resources and articles freely available from other providers

Research articles and evidence-based guidance reports:

• The Raising the Nation Play Commission is an enquiry into why play is so critical to children’s wellbeing and how a national play strategy can be established. Submit evidence here.
• Learning Through Play provides a number of articles and reports that explain the science behind a play-based approach. You may wish to explore how play nurtures creativity, child development and coping strategies.
• This report, commissioned by Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL), explores the evidence-base around outdoor play. You may also wish to consider other research evidence that OPAL has published on this theme.
• This discussion paper, produced by the International Play Association (IPA), highlights the critical role of play to children’s well-being, development and survival and reflects upon the impact of environmental conditions on the realisation of the right to play in children’s everyday lives.  
• Play in Education Development and Learning (PEDaL) provides access to a library short articles, blog pieces and videos to summarise findings from their research, alongside links to their latest academic publications
• This report, produced by Play Scotland, explores the best available research evidence about the impact of play-based initiatives.
• This research article explores the disconnect between policy, research and practice around play-based approaches and proposes a useful framework to address some of these challenges.
• This report, produced by the Lego Foundation, demonstrates how learning through play builds lifelong learners and supports children’s overall development. It also explores the obstacles that Early Years practitioners may face when making a case for play-based methods, and, finally, proposes a systems perspective in advocating for child-centred pedagogy and playful programmes. Similarly, this evidence review summarises current evidence on the role and importance of children’s learning through play.
• This research article outlines the findings of a study that explored the relationship between outdoor environments and children’s play.
• This research article outlines the findings of a study that explored the relationship between indoor environments and children’s play.
• This research article outlines the findings of a study that examined the impact of extending play-based pedagogies into Year 1 in an English primary school, particularly for those who did not achieve ‘Good Level of Development’
• This research article examines the theory, practice and evidence of a play-based curriculum. 

Resources supporting curriculum development and lesson planning:

• Learning Through Play provides a wealth of high-quality resources for educators, parents and carers to facilitate learning through play. 
• The Institute of Imagination provides resources and training for educators seeking to foster creativity through play and stimulating pupils’ imaginations. You may also wish to read their Impact report to further understand the impact of this work.
• Sign up to Play England and receive access to a range of publications and resources to design and implement play-based approaches, both in indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Play Scotland provides a range of high quality resources to promote children’s play. Notably, they provide a comprehensive toolkit to support ‘loose parts’ play. 
• Play Wales provides guidance and resources to facilitate play amongst all age groups – from early years to teenagers

Video content: 

• This video, hosted by Kath Murdoch, explains how you might structure days for playful inquiry.