Are Australian schools doing enough to facilitate play-time at school, in particular outdoor play? The answer, according to Western Sydney University’s Professor Tonia Gray, is a resounding ‘no’. “Contrary to the belief we Aussies are a nature-loving outdoor nation, we’re ...
More »Getting down and dirty: research suggests nature provides the best type of play
Risk-averse, plastic play spaces might soon become a thing of the past as new research has found that ‘nature play’ delivers a host of benefits to young children. Researchers at The University of South Australia conducted world's systematic review of ...
More »Aussies want more play time for school kids, but when?
Australians believe school students don’t spend enough time playing but can’t agree on what that should mean for break time. A national survey has found around nine in 10 Aussies feel play helps children build skills, while a majority believe ...
More »Pasi Sahlberg urges us to “let the children play”
Professor Pasi Sahlberg began his presentation at EduTECH 2019 by asking the rhetorical question "what do you do with a sick child?" Taking them to the doctor was the obvious reply. "So you can be very confident that whatever the ...
More »Getting serious about fun: Australian-first study into play-based education
Playtime can be dismissed as a frivolous activity; something kids do in between the arduous slog of ‘legitimate’ learning. In an Australian-first, researchers at Monash University are launching a comprehensive project to see whether we should be taking fun more ...
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