The Power of Play: together towards a child-centred play vision and creative play practice

Play is not optional. Play is the engine of development, for all children aged 0 to 12. This research develops a sustainable path to support pedagogical professionals. Starting from the interests of children and the enthusiasm of caregivers, together we develop a play vision and practice that is not too scholarly, but still developmentally stimulating. From Pinterest to Interest!

Research theme: Participation in practice

Field of interest: People and Society

Duration: 1/09/2020 - 1/09/2021

Financing: PWO

In the first place, this research wants to map the support needs of the field in developing a child-oriented play vision and creative play practice for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and primary school children (0-12 years). Secondly, it aims to answer this by developing a support tool, applicable in every day-care centre or out-of-school care centre. The research question is: How to support pedagogical professionals to develop a child-centred play vision and a resulting creative play practice within the organisation?

Why this research?

The implementation of the MeMoQ instrument in pre-school childcare has increased the need for creating a quality play offer. Laevers & Vandenbroeck (2016) indicate within their research the need to work on educational support during both free play and guided activities. However, professionals find little concrete translation into practice in the existing support tools. How can they offer quality play stimuli and challenges throughout the day and still respect the child's autonomy and power of exploration?

The new decree on out-of-school care (2019) reflects this: "The objective at child level is to provide a child-centred, challenging and playful environment, complementary to the child's school life, tailored to children's individuality and interests, to ensure that children can develop their talents in an atmosphere of leisure without formal or informal learning pressure." (Flemish Parliament, proposal for a decree on the organisation of out-of-school care and the alignment of out-of-school activities, 2019, p.5)