South African Journal of Childhood Education

ISSN: (Online) 2223-7682, (Print) 2223-7674

Page 1 of 12 Original Research

Play-based pedagogy: An approach to advance young

children’s holistic development

Authors: Background: Children’s holistic development includes physical, cognitive, socio-emotional,

Prosper Lunga1
moral and affective development and lies in early childhood development education
Stef Esterhuizen2
Mariette Koen1 (ECDE). According to research, children learn through different age-appropriate teaching
and learning pedagogies. Therefore, the importance of implementing a play-based
Affiliations: methodology in the early years. This study was underpinned by the theory of play as a
1
School of Psychosocial
spiral of learning.
Education, Faculty of
Education, North-West Aim: This study aimed to demonstrate how a play-based pedagogy could be utilised to
University, Potchefstroom
Campus, Potchefstroom,
enhance holistic development in young children.
South Africa
Setting: Three ECD centres in Gauteng, South Africa participated in the Thutopapadi
(play-based learning) research. The action learning set (ALS) consisted of one Grade R
2
Early Childhood
Development and Education teacher and two practitioners; the Grade R facilitator and three North-West University
and School of Psychosocial researchers.
Education, Faculty of
Education, North-West Methods: We employed a qualitative approach within the participatory action learning
University, Vanderbiljpark and action research (PALAR) design to interrogate the extent to which a play-based
Campus, Vanderbiljpark, pedagogy could be useful in enhancing the holistic development of young children.
South Africa
Transcriptions of meetings held by the ALS and photovoice were used to generate data.
Corresponding author: The participants reflected on and communicated about themes discussed during the ALS.
Stef Esterhuizen, We used the principles of thematic content analysis to analyse the generated data.
stef.esterhuizen@nwu.ac.za
Results: The results of this study proposed that to support holistic development in young
Dates: children, practitioners and parents should maximise the use of a play-based methodology in
Received: 12 Oct. 2021
Accepted: 23 Mar. 2022
both social and learning environments.
Published: 01 June 2022 Conclusion: Follow-ups should be made to ensure that the pedagogy that is being used in
How to cite this article: early childhood development education centres corresponds with the needs for the
Lunga, P., Esterhuizen, S. & development of young children.
Koen, M., 2022, ‘Play-based
pedagogy: An approach to Keywords: holistic development; PALAR; play-based pedagogy; young children; early learning.
advance young children’s
holistic development’, South
African Journal of Childhood
Education 12(1), a1133. Introduction
https://doi.org/10.4102/ The play-based pedagogy is an approach that can be dated back to the late 19th century. Froebel
sajce.v12i1.1133
was the first to figure out the educational benefits of play in a formal way in the 1890s (Eberle
Copyright: 2014; Ogunyemi & Ragpot 2016). In an attempt to explain the significance of play in education,
© 2022. The Authors. Froebel designed a series of educational toys called ‘Froebel’s gifts’, which he believed to help
Licensee: AOSIS. This work
with children’s cognitive development (Froebel 1887). Later, Maria Montessori added to the
is licensed under the
Creative Commons development of Froebel’s idea when she promoted play in her approach to early childhood
Attribution License. education where she introduced a hands-off approach to play, viewing the practitioner as an
unobtrusive observer (Bassok, Latham & Rorem 2016). The above ideas imply that young children
can learn best when they are engaged in uninterrupted play.

Han et al. (2015) state that in the 1920s, Steiner-Waldorf advocated for play in education where the
practitioner was regarded as a very domineering member of play. This educative style, based on
Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy, suggested the provision of momentous structure in the
play setting, which led children’s games and the practitioner to be the ‘chief storyteller’ in the
classroom. The Reggio Emilia approach (1950s–1970s), in turn, emphasises the active participation
Read online:
of the practitioner during play with the children in a valuable, co-learning atmosphere by sitting
Scan this QR
code with your alongside children and facilitating play (Dotson-Renta 2016; Ogunyemi & Ragpot 2016). Nicholson
smart phone or
mobile device (2019), as well as Bassok et al. (2016), state that the Forest Schools’ methodology (1990s to present)
to read online.
Notes: Special Collection: Early Childhood Development in Theory and Practice.

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 Page 2 of 12 Original Research

emerged in Scandinavia and spread throughout the world in Despite many constructive endorsements for a play-based
the 1990s and 2000s. Notably, the Forest Schools’ approach pedagogy, it is not as valuable for all children, and play
encourages outdoor play activities, which are regarded as is not always a biological or a spur-of-the-moment activity
highly tolerant for risk taking so that children can challenge in children’s homes and community cultures. Some
themselves and develop self-reliance in unstructured outdoor children are quite unfortunate to have abundant available
environments. resources and live in virtual peace, but they do not receive
many opportunities to enjoy the full benefits of play (Han
Considering the approaches mentioned in the previous et al. 2015; Ogunyemi & Ragpot 2016). In most cases,
paragraph, play-based pedagogy is explained by Eberle such children are brought up in a manner that is
(2014) and Christie and Roskos (2015) as a comprehensive progressively hassled and pressured to the extent that
incentive that may be the most substantial element they may constrain the protective benefits they would
contributing towards the well-being and development of gain from child-driven play. Ali et al. (2018), Eberle (2014)
young children within their early years of life. This implies and Nthontho (2017) suggest that the environment in
that play-based pedagogy is essential to children’s growth which these children are living may be a limiting factor for
and development. Both Zosh et al. (2018) and Han et al. free play. As playful learning promotes the physical,
(2015) emphasise that playing supports the holistic cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes essential for
development of young children by equipping them with school reading and academic success (Han et al. 2015;
skills to resolve problems, to communicate and interact Zosh et al. 2018), schools are responsible for endorsing a
with others, to build friendships and relationships with play-based pedagogy to support children’s holistic
peers and significant adults, to develop fine and gross development.
motor skills and to learn the self-regulation skills needed to
grow and learn. Holistic development refers to all areas of Child development occurs from the bottom up. This means
development in the young child, such as the moral, that the foundational sensory skills (see, hear, feel, touch,
affectionate, physical, intellectual (cognitive), emotional smell and taste) must be mastered before the next
and social development, as well as language development, developmental step can be integrated, resulting in being
to help meet the demands and challenges of daily life able to do more and more as one grows (Lombard & Du Toit
(Lombard & Du Toit 2021). 2021). The brain of the young child acts on a sensory
stimulus that sends information through the sensory
We regarded a play-based pedagogy to be significant in pathways to the brain, which connect at various levels for
supporting learning in early childhood education. When the child to make sense of his or her world. As children aged
children play with peers or adults, they learn essential 0–9 years are most receptive to learning during play and
skills to help them grow and be ready to face and succeed exploration, a play-based pedagogy is globally regarded as
in the daily challenges and demands of life, such as learning the best approach to learning in the early years (Burgemeester
and socialising. During play activities, children’s moral 2019). Based on the above views regarding the significance
skills can be developed when they learn to understand the of a play-based pedagogy in the holistic development of
feelings and emotions of others. They also learn how to children in early childhood development and education
deal with emotions such as anger, sadness and (ECDE) centres, we feel that it is crucial to understand
disappointment. Fine and gross motor skills are supported different types of play that can be of considerable use in the
by play activities such as cutting, pasting and colouring teaching of young children. In the current study, we
(fine motor skills) and climbing, running and skipping emphasise six types of play, namely dramatic play, fantasy
(gross motor skills). Play develops intellectual skills when play, exploratory play, manipulative play, small-world play
play activities that support children’s critical, creative, and games with rules (Christie & Roskos 2015; Han et al.
problem-solving, logical and analytical thinking skills are 2015; Nicholson 2019).
carried out. When children play in groups, they learn to
communicate, cooperate and interact with others, socially Both Honeyford and Boyd (2015), as well as Nthontho (2017),
and emotionally. As language and speech are an integral maintain that dramatic play usually involves the use of
part of child development, children learn to master instructional play-based strategies, such as dramatising a
language skills, such as enhanced vocabulary, sentence conversant story, role-playing community and family
structure, following instructions and conveying their members; hence, it includes multiple participants. This type
messages effectively (Stach & Veldsman 2021). According of play is considered to be important in the development of
to Christie and Roskos (2015) and Zosh et al. (2018), play- moral values amongst young children. Frost (2015), Christie
orientated early childhood programmes are chief and Roskos (2015) and Ali, Chowdhury and Obaydullah
contributors to long-term academic gains because they (2019) explain that during dramatisation, some societal
allow children to be creative through the course of norms and values will be emphasised to all the people,
developing their resourcefulness, dexterousness and including the actors and the audience. Children’s sense of
physical, cognitive and emotional strengths. Thus, it is affection is also developed during playtime (Ali et al. 2019).
suggested that children should engage and interact with This study regards dramatic play as beneficial when teaching
the world around them through play at a very early age. young children.

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Fantasy play, also known as make-believe play, pretend play, play and the gaining of skills in the different subject areas,
role play, dramatic play, representational play, imaginary such as mathematics, literacy, science and information and
play, imaginative play or socio-dramatic play, is a valuable computer technology, during the early years of learning.
play-based strategy where a child takes on a pretend role alone
(dramatic play) or where the child interacts and communicates In the understanding of the above information, it is
with another child, children or adult who is also in a pretend fundamental to acknowledge that a play-based pedagogy has
role (Van Heerden & Esterhuizen 2021). Although fantasy play the possibility of facilitating the transmission of knowledge
is pretence and make-believe, it can also be grounded in reality from one subject area to another (Frost 2015; Whitebread &
(Brewer 2014). We believe that fantasy play is a tool in the Basilio 2013). This means that young children make part of a
development of the social aspects of children, such as language discourse community in which meanings, intentions and
development and intrapersonal development where they learn activities are communicated through mediating means. Barnett
to associate with other children. This means that these are best and Owens (2015) further the view that a play-based pedagogy
to be used in the language subject and life skills. Barnett and has great possibilities for creating both educational and social
Owens (2015), Frost (2015) and Honeyford and Boyd (2015) enhancement amongst young children, as they can reproduce
stress that verbal communication, high levels of social and and go beyond what is given. This implies that a play-based
interaction skills, the creative use of play materials, imaginative pedagogy offers a transition between the possible and the
and divergent thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities actual. For this reason, we argue that a play-based pedagogy is
in children are enhanced through play. This opinion is a clear a child-centred approach that promotes the holistic
indication that activities that are posed in a play-based development of children by following their natural inquisitive
pedagogy have a hypothetical lead towards progressively and explorative disposition as it connects them to learning
more complex forms of learning, skills and understanding, situations and capabilities (see Bateson & Martin 2013).
predominantly in the cognitive and social domains.
In this context, it is important for practitioners to collaborate
Another type of play is exploratory play, where children have with parents in enhancing the utilisation of play so that
no objective other than exploration. Young children do some young children can develop holistically. When parents are
experimentation with available resources, such as digital actively involved in their children’s development and early
tools, prisms, magnifying glasses and materials such as clay education, they tend to stay involved throughout their school
career. Parental involvement not only supports the child’s
and water colours (Bateson & Martin 2013; Nicholson 2019).
development but also improves learning outcomes, because
As exploring and playing often go hand in hand, it is evident
it gives them a complete picture of the child’s progress and
that a play-based pedagogy is a hands-on type of play that
enables them to address possible developmental problems as
can be used to teach subjects such as mathematics and science
they appear (Spreeuwenberg 2019). Frost (2015) highlights
to young children.
that parents greatly contribute to preparing children for pre-
and primary school. We consider them (parents) to be
In manipulative play, young children work with parts within
principally the first educators in a child’s life as they support
materials, including building sets, puzzles, lumps or blocks,
children’s play at home and encourage learning before any
beads, and so forth (Christie & Roskos 2015). This type of
formal education; therefore, parents enhance young
play not only develops fine motor skills but also sharpens the
children’s learning. Ali et al. (2019) and Ali et al. (2018) reveal
problem-solving skills of young children. Through the
that most parents appreciate play, but they do not have clear
manipulation of different materials, young children will also
and specific knowledge of the benefits of play in children’s
do some movement, which is essential for physical and gross
development. Therefore, the focus of this study is to support
motor development. Small-world play is another very
a play-based pedagogy towards the holistic development of
interesting type of play that is useful for the development of
young children in South Africa. The following section will
young children. Whitebread and Basilio (2013) and Barnett deliberate on the theoretical framing of this study.
and Owens (2015) explain it as a play method that utilises
minuscule paraphernalia, including small collectables,
animals, fixtures and trays. There is a very close relationship Theoretical framing of the study
between manipulative play and small-world play. This study was framed on the theory of play as a spiral of
learning, which was propounded by Moyles in 1989 (see
Games with rules can also be used to teach young children Figure 1). We conducted this study following the idea of
(Ali et al. 2019). This type of play may incorporate board teaching and learning being illustrated in the theory of play as
games that focus on developing specific concepts, such as a spiral of learning (Moyles 1989; Wood 2010). The idea allows
shapes, colours, letters, sounds and counting (Bassok et al. young children to explore themselves in two phases of play,
2016; Nthontho 2017), and they are sometimes constructed by namely free play and guided play. The idea stresses the fact
young children by negotiating rules to be followed therein. that any subject can be learnt at different interludes. Therefore,
All these kinds of play are crucial in the holistic development the phases used in this study followed the ideas that are
of children. Researchers such as Ali et al. (2019), Barnett and proposed in the spiral learning theory. In this sense, we found
Owens (2015), Cheng (2011) and Honeyford and Boyd (2015) the framework to be very important in advancing the holistic
have validated the formidable connections that exist between development of young children. The first free play permits

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essential in children’s development, in this study, we

regarded both free play and guided play as important in the
Accretion learning of children. Therefore, we used this theory to
demonstrate that a play-based pedagogy is the best approach
Restructuring towards the holistic development of young children. The
accommodation preceding focuses on the methodology that was used in the
current study to address the main research question: How
can a play-based pedagogy be utilised to enhance holistic
Mastery practice revision development in young children?

Child-initiated play Research methods and design

Bertram and Christiansen (2020) believe that qualitative
studies allow participants to create their own knowledge
Adult-led play
within experiences. In this study, we used a qualitative
research approach because the purpose of the research was
Child-initiated play to investigate the views of participants on the way a play-
based pedagogy supports the holistic development of young
Adult-led children. Choosing a qualitative approach as the starting
play
point, we employed a participatory action learning and
Source: Adapted from Moyles, J., 1989, Just playing? The role and status of play in early
action research (PALAR) method as the research design
childhood education, Open University Press, Milton Keynes because Wood (2020) explains that within a PALAR design,
FIGURE 1: The theory of play as a spiral of learning. participants are encouraged to think collaboratively about
phenomena. Participatory action learning and action
children to take the lead in the game where they explore and research allowed us to engage in the study as observers,
create their own game with no assistance from the adults. In critical reflectors and participants to explore the role of play-
the following phase, adults (practitioner and parents) take the based learning (PBL) in the holistic development of young
lead in modelling processes, guiding and directing the child’s children.
play and assessment in a more structured method (Bruce 2011;
Mourao 2014; Swanwick 2016). Interestingly, continuously
repeating the two processes is crucial because it leads children
Research design
to gain new skills that are necessary for their development. Participatory action learning and action research was
Portiková (2015) and Robinson, Mourão and Kang (2015) add deemed suitable for the study because we could participate
that repeated, child-initiated and guided play supports young as equal partners in the process of action learning whilst
children to discover more; learning then becomes easy as the facilitating the research process, as suggested by Wood
material is reinforced and they get more practice that facilitates (2020). Zuber-Skerritt (2015) point out that PALAR
total development. This theory is relevant to this study, as it promotes sustainability because participants who are
includes adults as significant figures in using a play-based engaged in this type of research are provided with the
pedagogy approach when teaching young children. Below is opportunity to develop skills and knowledge to continue
a schematic representation of the theory. working on their own whilst also learning about the value
of collaboration and caring for others. Eight participants
The schematic figures shows the development of children were purposively selected to form the action learning set
from the bottom to the top. The above schematic figure entails (ALS). An ALS is a small group that plans and chooses how
that knowledge and skills are progressively accrued (Mourao the process will go forward when the members discuss
2014; Swanwick 2016), as the play spiral is repeated several issues and reflect on ideas of previous meetings (Morrison
times. Therefore, through spiral play, young children become 2017). In our ALS, we followed Wood’s (2020) advice to
more and more familiar with different activities, which collaborate as equal partners when we discover, reason,
supports their holistic development. Wood (2010) explains think critically and reflect on the way a play-based approach
spiral play to be good, as it provides a balance between child- could support the holistic development of young children.
led and adult-led activities, which have a positive impact on The three R’s of PALAR (Zuber-Skerrit 2019) guided the
learners’ development and autonomy. Therefore, in this interaction of the participants in the ALS, namely having a
study, we view the theory of play as a spiral of learning to be trusting relationship, continuous critical reflection and
very relevant to the study because it can allow the practitioner recognition of the learning and knowledge generated by
to realise the strong and weak points of the young child by the participants.
continuously repeating the two phases and converging the
weak areas for development. The theory of play as a spiral of
learning places play at the centre of the early childhood
Context of the study
curriculum (Bruce 2011; Portiková 2015). Although Mourao The ALS was formed by one gatekeeper, two Setswana-
(2014) and Swanwick (2016) argue that child-initiated play is speaking Grade R practitioners and one English Grade R

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 Page 5 of 12 Original Research

TABLE 1: Biographical details of the research participants. communicate issues in an ALS (Budig et al. 2018). Cycle 3
Pseudonyms Gender Age Ethnic group Designation
group began with a relationship-building session to reflect on the
P1 F 45+ isiZulu Grade R facilitator themes that had surfaced during Cycle 2. The ALS then
P2 F 45+ English Grade R practitioner addressed the third research question: What guidelines can
P3 F 45+ Sesotho Practitioner and centre manager be developed to inform training to increase the capacity of
P4 F 35 Sesotho Practitioner PBL for ECDE? During this cycle, recorded ALS discussions
P5 M 35 Shona Researcher were used to generated data.
P6 F 45+ Afrikaans Researcher
P7 F 45+ Afrikaans Researcher
P8 F 45+ Afrikaans Researchers Data analysis and ethics
M, male; F, female. During each cycle, Braun and Clarke (2013) six-phase thematic
analysis method was used to analyse the data. First, we
practitioner from the Sedibeng EastDistrict in Gauteng, South familiarised ourselves with the data by gaining an overview of
Africa. In addition, one Shona-speaking and three Afrikaans- what had been collected. Then we used coding to highlight
speaking participants from the university also participated in different sections, which included phrases or sentences.
the ALS (see Table 1). An independent gatekeeper, a person Thereafter, we could generate themes by identifying patterns in
known to all the participants, was requested to purposively the codes. Then we were able to review the themes to ensure that
select participants. The role of the gatekeeper was to negotiate we had identified them accurately. We then defined the themes
directly with the research participants and to act as an and described and named them to make sure that they would be
objective mediator to enhance trust amongst the members of easily understood. Writing up the themes was the last phase to
the ALS (see Wood 2020). In addition, the gatekeeper screened ensure that we could display the themes in a written report.
all the correspondence from the researchers to ensure
objectivity. Integrity was ensured by following the five quality indicators
as set out by Herr and Anderson (2005), namely outcome
Table 1 reflects the diversity of the South African context, validity to determine to what extent our actions solved the
including the different languages spoken by the participants, problem; process validity to explain how lifelong learning
namely English Afrikaans, Shona, Sesotho and Setswana. could be promoted; democratic validity by making sure that
One of the participants suggested using the Sesotho word all the participants participated equally; catalytic validity to
thutopapadi (meaning ‘PBL’) to define the ALS. One male and make sure that transformation had taken place; and dialogic
seven female participants participated in the study, with ages validity to make sure that reflection took place.
varying from 35 to 45 years.
The ethics committee of the university and the Department of
Because of governmental restrictions during the lockdown, Education of the Gauteng province granted ethical clearance
online sessions (via Zoom), each lasting 45 min – 60 min, and permission to conduct this low-risk research project.
allowed the ALS to think collaboratively about ways PBL According to the vision and principles of PALAR, participants
could support the holistic development of young children. should be well informed and committed and feel engaged
The PALAR process usually consists of more than one cycle (Zuber-Skerritt 2019), therefore, an ethical agreement was
where a research question is addressed during each cycle negotiated with the participants. Voluntary participation was
(Wood 2020). We employed three cycles (four sessions per ensured, and the participants were required to sign a letter of
cycle) in which the secondary research questions consent prior to participation. It was clearly explained that the
were addressed. In Cycle 1, the ALS addressed the first participants could withdraw from the study at any time should
secondary question: How well-equipped are teachers and they not feel comfortable with participating in the research.
departmental officials regarding knowledge of and skills in This ensured autonomy and respect, that the participants’
PBL in ECDE? contributions were respected and their voices were heard.

During this cycle, a relationship session was organised to In the following section, the results will be presented in an
negotiate needs, discuss the mutual purpose and determine integrated manner in response to the questions addressed by
the roles and responsibilities in the ALS. The recorded ALS the ALS.
discussions were used to generate data.
Ethical considerations
Cycle 2 began with a reflection on Cycle 1 to determine any
Ethical clearance to conduct this study was obtained from the
new needs that the participants had identified. Then we
North-West University, Faculty of Education Research Ethics
addressed the second research question: How can the
Committee (EduREC) (No. NWU-01232-20-A2).
capacity for PBL in ECDE be strengthened through a
collaborative approach amongst stakeholders?
Results
Photovoice was used to generate data.It is a visual data The results of this empirical study are based on the main
generation method to help participants to reflect on and research question: How can a play-based pedagogy be

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utilised to enhance the holistic development of young social skills during play. Children’s sense of affection may
children? The results suggested that a play-based pedagogy also be supported by a play-based pedagogy, as children
is an indispensable pedagogy in the development of young may feel that they belong when playing with other children
children in all aspects of life, that is, moral, affectionate, and adults. Play improves physical development and skills
physical, intellectual, emotional, social and language in children. Fine, as well as gross motor skills develop when
development. During the ALS discussions, the participants children participate in play activities. A play-based
explained play-based pedagogy as follows: pedagogy may support the cognitive or intellectual skills of
‘Children are learning in a playful manner … so the play should children. The reason be that children may come across
be structured so that we [practitioners] can [be] looking at activities that develop critical and creative thinking and
something they want to develop in the children … It is not as problem solving. The ALS discussion also pointed towards
rigid as the formal methods used for learners in higher grades. the value of play for socio-emotional development. Children
Yes, they should not be subjected to a situation that will learn social-appropriate behaviour, such as waiting their
allow them to think or realise that they are learning, though it turn, when they play. Emotional skills are also developed,
[learning] is really happening informally in a playful way. This is because they learn that you must share and cannot always
important because it is less stressful to the children.’ (P1: 45+ be the winner during games. Language development
year old isiZulu Grade R facilitator) improve as children learn new concepts and how to
participate in a conversation. In the following section, we
We regard P1’s opinion to be centred on the informal way of discuss six themes that derived from the study in detail.
learning that should take place through the use of play-way
methods when teaching young children. This implies that the Theme 1: A play-based pedagogy and the moral
participant consigns a play-based pedagogy to be very development of young children
important for the development of young children. P7 shared
her sentiments as follows: Young children acquire many moral values as they play with
their peers (Klim-Klimaszewska 2015). The participants
‘I want to agree with Anna that it is a small or three words,
reported that playing different games might enhance young
which entail everything, I see it as you’re strengthening many
children’s moral development. In response to the question
areas of development of the child. We normally refer to “holistic
that sought to understand how play could support moral
development.”’ (45+ year old Afrikaans researcher)
development, P3 had the following view:
Based on the voice of P7 above, it is suggested that a play- ‘Through play-way methods, I believe it’s where the kids are
based pedagogy is a tool that is the backbone of the being able to play freely and learn some societal values.’ (45+
year old Sesotho practitioner and centre manager)
development of children during their early years. The two
views were concurred by P5 who explained as follows:
We understood the following opinion to value a play-based
‘They learn through play while they don’t realise that there are a
pedagogy instead of ignoring the importance of children
lot of all of [sic] activities, they are doing to develop themselves
learning the standards, principles and ethics of their societies:
intellectually, socially, emotionally, morally and physically…
I see it is quite a fundamental methodology or approach that ‘To me, play-based learning should actually start at home from the
seeks to develop a child holistically. At the end, it is time for us as very beginning, where children role-play what they see happening
educators, researchers, to learn from those activities, as small in their immediate environment under the guidance of parents …
children will be doing.’ (35 year old Shona researcher) As practitioners, we will continue to direct the children to plays
which teach them things which are acceptable in the school
The participant emphasised the fact that a play-based community and at home, not necessarily to give them pencils to
start writing.’ (P2: 45+ year old English Grade R practitioner)
pedagogy involved many activities that were useful in
helping young children’s holistic development. This
resonates with the types of play as highlighted earlier in the In addition to societal beliefs, P2 explained play to be initiated
introduction of this study. at home where parents are at the centre of teaching their
children acceptable morals, which will equally become the
The views from participants denote the significance of the responsibility of practitioners too. She emphasised all the
utilisation of a play-based pedagogy approach in supporting teaching and learning to be done in a play-way manner. P1
the holistic development of young children. This idea echoed the same thoughts:
resonates with the theoretical framework used in this study, ‘Yes, you can instil good behaviour among young children
which emphasise the importance of child-initiated play and through engaging in different games. They need to be occupied
guided play in developing different domains of young greatly as early enough for them to learn by observing each other
children. Moreover, the literature reviewed earlier in this during play.’ (45+ year old isiZulu Grade R facilitator)
study explained six different types of games that are helpful
in supporting child development (Christie & Roskos 2015; The data presented under Theme 1 suggest a mutual agreement
Han et al. 2015; Nicholson 2019). The emphasis of the data amongst the participants that moral development amongst
above leads to themes identified by the ALS that indicate young children can be advanced with PBL. Presented below
that a play-based pedagogy may support the moral are data that emphasise the idea that play can lead to the
development of young children, because children learn development of a sense of affection amongst young children.

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Theme 2: Developing young children’s sense of ‘This picture shows a play centre where young children can play.
affection through play Although it may be of a low standard, it shows that parents were
involved in creating and constructing a playground from
The use of a play-based pedagogy in teaching young recycled material. The children now have equipment to play on
children helps to develop their sense of love and belonging and practise different aspects of their development, especially
(Denise 2019). During the ALS discussions, the participants physical development.’ (35 year old Shona researcher)
confirmed that young children’s sense of affection was
developed during play. One of the participants shared the The picture and the explanation given by P5 explicitly
following: demonstrate that when young children are engaged in an
‘Play really assists in making young children share materials outdoor activity, it fundamentally has a positive impact on
with each other, which leads to the sense of love to one another.’ their physical development. Importantly, whilst children are
(P5: 35 year old Shona researcher) playing on their own, the practitioner should be monitoring
the process in order to avoid any harm to the learners. P7
This viewpoint accentuates the aspect of caring for one gave the following response:
another being perpetuated by play amongst young children. ‘As children play, they develop strong bodies and minds … so
We regard this to be a very important component as caring is outdoor activities are a significant part of their play. That is why
a focal expression of Ubuntu (humanity amongst others), there are supposed to be play centres that are well equipped so
which is key to human life. The aspect of caring develops that children can play.’ (P7: 45+ year old Afrikaans researcher)
even before the sense of affection develops (Cherry 2021).
Only when children receive nurturing care, they will With the above response, P7 concurred with P5 on the
develop a sense of affection. In the same sense, P2 shared: importance of outdoor activities for toddlers. Furthermore,
‘You know, I really think play-based learning makes children to
P7 emphasised that play centres needed to have enough
[sic] feel that they are a family with their peers, and if the equipment for children to use. P1 emphasised the importance
practitioners are also involved in the games, it shows that they of some of the activities that young children engage in whilst
love the children; therefore, even the development wise [sic], it they are indoors:
becomes easy for the young kids.’ (45+ year old English Grade R ‘We give them crayons to make their finger muscles strong and
practitioner) get [them] used to controlling and gripping the pencil. They will
then be given play activities for them to colour different objects.
P2 explained that positive relationships between children I see it to be so important for the children.’ (45+ year old isiZulu
and adults would lead to the development of affection. Grade R facilitator)
From this understanding, we derive that a sense of affection
can be highly developed in young children through play. Based on the verbatim transcriptions of the participants, we
Our next theme discusses the development of physical argue that a play-based pedagogy is crucial for the physical
skills through a play-based pedagogy. development of young children; hence we advocate for the
implementation thereof, as explained in the theoretical
Theme 3: A play-based pedagogy towards young framework of this study, namelyplay as a spiral of learning.
children’s physical development The next theme focuses on the intellectual development of
young children versus play.
Physical development is integral to the holistic development
of young learners because it is a starting point for learning
(Krog 2013). According to the generated data, children’s
Theme 4: Play versus the intellectual
physical growth is enhanced when they engage in play.
development of young children
P5 presented a photovoice example (Figure 2) to illustrate the It is believed that for children to develop intellectually,
importance of play in enhancing the physical development of they should be taught in an environment where formal
young children: methodologies are used to teach children to read and write. In
as far as this belief can contribute to intellectual development,
we argue for a play-based pedagogy as a catalyst for the
intellectual development of young children, as supported
by empirical evidence from the practitioners and researchers
who participated in this study. The participants made the
following contribution regarding the matter:
‘Play-way methods enhance active learning, exploratory skills
and critical thinking among Grade R learners. They can have
different types of play – creative, imaginative, pretend – which
are functional and enjoyable learning experiences.’ (P7: 45+ year
old Afrikaans researcher)
‘I think play-based learning is quite a fundamental method in
Source: Perez-Llantada, M.P. & Woldesenbet, M., 2019, Self-made playground: The house of the sense that it really caters for young children who do have a
the lost children, viewed 26 April 2022, from https://thecityateyelevel.com/app/uploads/​
2019/11/SELF-MADE.pdf very short concentration span.’ (P4: 35 year old Sesotho
FIGURE 2: Example of photovoice to illustrate physical development. practitioner)

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 Page 8 of 12 Original Research

The two utterances above emphasise the fact that when to self-regulatory abilities … and cooperative learning, which is
young children play, they develop creativity. This entails that sometimes led by the adults.’ (P7: 45+ year old Afrikaans
creativity materialises when critical thinking and cognitive researcher)
skills development come together to generate something ‘As they play, life skills are part of teaching and learning. Yes!
new or different: Through role-play, children will be learning social roles. Again,
physical play also helps children develop tolerance skills, as well
‘The homework that we give them is playing with a puzzle,
as stress and crankiness management.’ (P1: 45+ year old isiZulu
cutting pictures, bringing it to class the next day. This is all to
Grade R facilitator)
make sure that children master certain concepts which are
essential in all the [sic] three subjects taught at this level rather
The two participants above share the understanding that
than making them stand alone.’ (P2: 45+ year old English Grade
R practitioner) play-way methods enrich the ability of young children to
socialise and learn to control anxiety and a bad temper. In
We understood the aforementioned opinion to mean that addition to that, two other participants gave the following
parents should contribute to enhancing intellectual responses:
development through play. This shows that there must be ‘Through dramatic play, children imitate what other people in
proper communication between parents and practitioners different societies, like practitioners, doctors, police officers, do,
for meaningful implementation of a play-based pedagogy as and that is very important for their socio-emotional being.’ (P6:
45+ year old Afrikaans researcher)
a tool for holistic development. P5 gave the following
response: ‘In the multicultural class, children learn from each other,
from different cultures, become aware of different languages
‘Play-based learning encourages [the] transfer of learning,
and cultural norms and values.’ (P4: 35 year old Sesotho
where all those [sic] three subjects might be taught in one play-
practitioner)
based activity. What they have learnt is not transferred to
mathematics or life skillsony, but those subjects are intertwined.
We comprehend their views to emphasise that a play-based
They should not be presented separately.’ (P5: 35 year old
pedagogy plays a significant role in transferring cultural
Shona researcher)
beliefs from person to person. The next theme focuses
on developing language skills amongst young children
The above statement explains that young children learn
through play.
different concepts whilst they are engaging in a specific type
of play. This is an important aspect that leads to cognitive
development. Through this, young children may be able to Theme 6: Developing language in young children
relate what they did during play to concepts in different through play
learning areas. This idea echoes the literature that indicates Language is a crucial part of every aspect of human life. With
that a play-based pedagogy facilitates the movement of this understanding, the participants expressed their opinions
knowledge from one learning area to another (Frost 2015; regarding how language could be developed through a play-
Whitebread & Basilio 2013). According to P1, children do not based pedagogy. Their responses are as follows:
read the words, but they read pictures and narrate what is ‘[A] play-based [method] is there to develop language in the
going on there: learners. If we can implement PBL [play-based learning] in [the]
‘I think the Department of Basic Education workbooks work teaching of … young learners, they can easily develop the [sic]
very relevant to play-based learning. In that workbook there are language.’ (P5: 35 year old Shona researcher)
stickers and pictures which are very good for developing ‘The Department is making sure that schools have resources
different skills; for example, they look at the pictures and they which they can use to enhance play among the children,
can tell you what happened in the story in their own words. meaning we are trying to reinforce the language of play
They can also cut and paste pictures or stickers on the spaces through learning. Practitioners should use songs, rhymes and
provided in the workbook.’ (P1: 45+ year old isiZulu Grade R playful activities.’ (P1: 45+ year old isiZulu Grade R facilitator)
facilitator)
‘Play-based learning can be used for language problems.’ (P6:
45+ year old Afrikaans researcher)
The next theme focuses on the social and emotional
development of young children through play. The three participants concur that language can easily
and best be developed in young children through play.
Theme 5: The social and emotional Interestingly, P1 confirmed that the Department of Education
development of young children is a result of a supported schools by providing equipment for the
play-based pedagogy implementation of PBL. However, P2 opposed that opinion
During the ALS discussion, we found that the use of a play- by giving the following response:
based pedagogy was also essential for the development of
‘I disagree that language can be developed in a short time. I still
social and emotional skills amongst young children. The have kids who struggle with the language six months into the year
participants had the following to say: … we do actions, facial gestures, body language, but they are still
‘Play-way methods are very important in supporting our struggling with language. Language cannot be developed in a
children to learn … social and emotional skills, which also lead shorter time. When kids are with us, we use English, when they go

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 Page 9 of 12 Original Research

home, they speak their home languages. The language is difficult.’ Swanwick (2016), the role of adults is of great importance in
(45+ year old English Grade R practitioner) the use of a play-based pedagogy when teaching young
children. The literature also affirms that the involvement of
From the response of P2, we picked up that practitioners adults in children’s development cannot be overemphasised
were teaching young children in a formal way. Her expression (Ali et al. 2018; Frost 2015). We, therefore, agree with the fact
‘we do actions, facial gestures, body language’ shows that that a play-based pedagogy can promote moral development
practitioners are the ones who use actions, gestures and body amongst young children.
language when teaching; hence young children do not
develop the language skills as expected. Theme 2: P1 and P2 demonstrated an understanding of a
play-based pedagogy as a method of teaching and learning
Discussion for young children. Through our analysis of the two opinions,
we identified that a play-based pedagogy has a great
The aim of this study was to find out how a play-based
possibility of nurturing confidence in young children. We
pedagogy could be utilised to advance the holistic
propose that although there is no supporting literature in this
development of young children. The research question was
study regarding the building of confidence through play, a
answered by looking at the moral, affectionate, physical,
play-based pedagogy can enhance the ability of children to
intellectual, emotional, social and language development of take risks and try new things on their own. This is in line with
the young child and how a play-based pedagogy could the theory of play as a spiral of learning, which stresses that
support these skills. child-initiated play is decisive for the development of young
children (Mourao 2014; Swanwick 2016). This implies that
The participants view a play-based pedagogy as a teaching children gain confidence by discovering that their desires are
and learning strategy that concentrates on the development a priority to their parents or practitioners. Moreover, the
of multiple skills amongst young children. P1 stressed the involvement of adults in children’s play is crucial because we
point that a play-based pedagogy was not an inflexible believe that young children use adults as their source of
method of teaching and learning. In this understanding, we security and love at home when they explore and learn.
(the authors) regard a play-based pedagogy as a child- Hence, they gain self-assurance as they come across things
friendly teaching and learning method. There is congruence they can do all on their own. Therefore, we put forward in
between these views and the theoretical framing of this study, this study that a play-based pedagogy is crucial for the
for Mourao (2014) and Swanwick (2016) explain that skills development of affection amongst young children.
and knowledge are gradually acquired by young children
as they play. Furthermore, P1 said that ‘play should be Theme 3: Based on the viewpoints of the participants, this
structured’. These words emphasise the important role adults study claims that a play-based pedagogy is useful for
play in using a play-based pedagogy. We found this to be supporting young children’s physical development. It is
strongly connected to both the theory that emphasises that crucial that young children are exposed to both indoor and
adult-led play is very useful to young children’s development outdoor play activities. Bassok et al. (2016) and Nthontho
(Portiková 2015; Robinson et al. 2015). In addition, the (2017) support this idea, as they emphasise that games with
literature that was reviewed in this study emphasised the rules should be used to teach young children within and
roles of practitioners and parents in the implementation of outside the classroom. Indoor and outdoor play activities
assist in developing the physical aspect of children. In this
a play-based pedagogy (Bateson & Martin 2013; Frost
sense, we argue for active play by toddlers, as it is critical
2015). Our understanding from the empirical data is that a
for their physical development. Games such as small-world
play-based pedagogy is key to young children’s moral,
play help children refine their dexterity, body equilibrium
affectionate, physical, intellectual, emotional, social and
and gross motor skills by engaging in large movements such
language development.
as crawling and walking, and fine motor skills by engaging
in smaller movements such as picking objects up (Barnett &
Theme 1: The empirical data show that a play-based
Owens 2015; Whitebread & Basilio 2013). This statement
pedagogy can support moral development amongst young implies that play activities during childhood make young
children. P3 believes that a play-based pedagogy helps to children healthier because they help children use their
teach societal values to young children, whilst P1 suggested natural stores of energy and promote better eating and
that young children could learn good behaviour from a play- sleeping habits. Therefore, we contend for play-based
based pedagogy. This is supported by the literature, as Ali et pedagogies to be taken seriously in order to encourage
al. (2019), Christie and Roskos (2015) and Frost (2015) stress healthy habits amongst young children that they can carry
that dramatic play is fundamental in demonstrating the through to adulthood.
norms and values of both the children’s communities and the
school. We concluded that a play-based pedagogy can play a Theme 4: From the data presented in the previous section, the
vital role in developing the moral well-being of young cognitive development of young children is best improved
children. P2 brought in the concept of parental and using a play-based pedagogy. Participant P7 stated that
practitioner involvement in play. Drawing from the theory of play facilitated intellectual development. She used the term
play as a spiral of learning, as explained by Wood (2010) and ‘active learning’, which suggests the impact of play on

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 Page 10 of 12 Original Research

children’s learning. We understand this term to mean that also when children play with others and through interaction
through a play-based pedagogy, young children may be able with mentors and teachers. In such interaction, they develop
to comprehend and apply the knowledge gained in different important speech and language skills, as well as listening
games to specific subjects. This is in congruence with the skills. According to Ali et al. (2019) and Frost (2015), types of
reviewed literature, as Christie and Roskos (2015) and Zosh play such as drama and fantasy have a significant influence
et al. (2018) describe a play-based pedagogy as having a on the development of children’s language skills. It is also
lasting cognitive gain for young children. This means that important to note that even when young children play as
young children can make sense of different play activities and individuals, their language can also be developed because
apply them in the context of the environment because these they habitually narrate their actions and sometimes engage in
skills involve the management of attention, memory, control self-talk as they play with various toys. In the same context, the
and flexibility. As indicated by P2 when she said that toddlers theory of play as a spiral of learning is quite applicable to
could relate to a story from pictures, we believe that telling a children’s language development, for Bruce (2011), Portiková
story from pictures is an example of using critical thinking. (2015) and Swanwick (2016) allude to the belief that
As evident in the empirical data, the learning areas for the continuous changing of adult-led and learner-initiated
young children are not taught in isolation but are integrated activities reinforces the development of speech and language
into play activities. Therefore, we realise that young children skills. We understand that when children are playing, they will
learn numeracy and literacy skills by playing with various be communicating purpose and organisational ideas to one
toys and books, and they demonstrate their thinking as they another. If there is a misunderstanding, children are guided
talk about what they are doing. There is a fundamental to talk through the issue and work out a compromise
connection between play and the acquisition of knowledge, (Swanwick 2016; Wood 2010). This means that structured play
which is related to different cognitive domains, including is a typical setting for language learning because when children
mathematics, literacy, science and information and computer are exposed to additional vocabulary, they enrich their own
technology (Ali et al. 2019; Barnett & Owens 2015). This variety of words and integrate them into their language.
implies that intellectual development amongst young
children is, to a large extent, enhanced by the use of a play- Contribution of this study to the body of
based pedagogy. knowledge
This study contributed to closing the gap on the value of a play-
Theme 5: The presented data indicate that the participants
based pedagogy and, hence, emphasised the implementation
agreed on the assumption that a play-based pedagogy
thereof in classrooms. This was done through its emphasis on the
was ideal for social and emotional development amongst
collaboration of practitioners and parents in the use of a play-
young children. The participants used expressions such as
based pedagogy for the holistic development of young
‘to learn … social and emotional skills’ (P7: 45+ year old
children. The study may be helpful to school managers when
Afrikaans researcher), ‘learning social roles … children
making decisions regarding teaching and learning materials
develop tolerance skills’ (P1: 45+ year old isiZulu Grade R
needed for young children. Furthermore, the study may be of
facilitator), ‘important for their socio-emotional being’ (P6:
assistance in resolving existing conflict amongst managers,
45+ year old Afrikaans researcher) and ‘become aware of
parents and practitioners regarding a pedagogy that is
different languages and cultural norms and values’ (P4: 35
appropriate in as far as the teaching of young children is
year old Sesotho practiioner). These expressions suggest
concerned. The study may also lead to the improvement of
that a play-based pedagogy allows young children to learn
teaching and learning policies that are user-friendly and suit
to work with others towards shared purposes, thereby
the diverse developmental needs of young children.
being able to build self-confidence, negotiate, cooperate
and share ideas. Barnett and Owens (2015) point out
that the use of PBL promotes educational and social Limitations of the study
transformation amongst children. In this context, we regard Although the current study makes a significant contribution,
a play-based pedagogy to be important in developing social it also has some limitations. The study was conducted using
skills and building friendships amongst learners, a very small selection of participants. It was also conducted
practitioners and parents. On top of that, using a play- in only one district of one province of South Africa. These
based pedagogy strengthens children to work through their factors do not allow for the findings to be generalised to the
emotions because they can express their feelings through broad South African population. Furthermore, the selection
different activities, such as physical play, storytelling and comprised researchers and practitioners, leaving out other
art, amongst other things. Ali et al. (2019), Christie and important stakeholders such as parents, non-governmental
Roskos (2015) and Frost (2015) maintain that the use of organisations and school managers.
dramatic and fantasy play as teaching and learning methods
is important, as they make children forget stressful
experiences. It is fundamental to note that social skills are a Conclusion
vital part of language development in all its forms. The results of this study suggested the intensive implementation
of a play-based pedagogy in teaching young children so that
Theme 6: Drawing from the empirical data, language they would develop holistically. Emphasis was placed on
development happens not only through formal teaching, but moral, affectionate, physical, intellectual, socio-emotional and

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 Page 11 of 12 Original Research

language development. We concluded that there must be Disclaimer

collaboration between practitioners and parents in making
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of
a play-based pedagogy a reality, thereby achieving holistic
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or
development amongst young children. Furthermore, the use of
position of any affiliated agency of the authors.
PALAR in the study enhanced the knowledge of the
practitioners and researchers on the use of a play-based
pedagogy for the development of young children. In light of References
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