A statement in support of children’s play by @CurtinEducation

Recently, Curtin’s School of Education launched a position statement on play. I was proud to develop this statement in collaboration with my Early Childhood colleagues Jenny Jay, Jane Merewether, and Megan Bankes. We are passionate about the significance of play and the right of all children to play, and we wanted to create a statement in keeping with this passion.

As we developed the statement, we received valuable feedback from our colleagues in the School of Education. They provided constructive feedback which guided us in evolving the statement, and they also provided encouragement and support. It was wonderful to see the statement celebrated throughout the School, and upon its release, across the University with many colleagues approaching us to reflect on their appreciation of play.

My hope as the Course Coordinator of Early Childhood Education is that this statement will further support our practice in this area. Our pre-service teachers have a great interest in play and play-based learning, and they embrace it in their teaching practice in so many meaningful and innovative ways. We also have many graduates across the country (and around the world!) who believe in the power of play and who support children’s playful engagement in learning. Their passion and dedication is admirable and makes such a difference in the lives of children and families.

I am looking forward to nurturing this marvellous practice in new and different ways as we push forward. This Saturday, the Early Childhood team – including staff and students – will participate in the Curtin Explorer event, which promises to bring our Bentley campus to life with an amazing range of nature play activities. We will be setting up at Lower Henderson with a variety of different opportunities for children of all ages and their families. Next year, I will be collaborating with our PL Hub to bring play-focused professional learning to pre-service and in-service teachers. There is a lot happening in the way of play at Curtin’s School of Education, which is delightful to see and be a part of.

So, here’s to play and all that it means to children, families, educators, and communities. It is an exciting and promising time for play advocacy and I can’t wait to see what emerges as we forge forward in support of the right of all children to play.