The science of play

There’s plenty of discussion and academic research that looks at how play is important for education, being used as a tool for teaching and learning, as well its importance in health and general well being. We’ll post some of the more interesting findings and thoughts as we come across them.

  • National Saturday Club logo (name in white against red).
    National Saturday Club
    Fantastic opportunities for 13-16 year olds to learn skills, find their talents and meet others at various universities, colleges and museums across the UK. Meeting…
  • Cover of the book 'Playing the Archive'. Child and mother exploring an old style red telephone box.
    Playing the Archive
    “Playing the Archive: From the Opies to the digital playground” Publication date: 10 April, 2025 Fascinating book for those who have an academic interest or…
  • Two children one with spade other with hose creating a mud patch by a trampoline in a garden
    Child Led Learning: myths and reality
    Child-led learning gets a bad rap all because of misinformation, or simply people who think they know, and don’t care to learn for sure. Those are typically the adults in the world of early childhood education who cling to the control they have over children and can’t fathom letting go.
  • Screen shot from the animation 'Like and Follow'. Large humanised mobile phone followed by a young person on a lead as though a pet on a lead.
    ‘Like and Follow’
    An award-winning short animation called “Like and Follow” that we came across and felt might strike a chord with many. We don’t deny there is…
  • Please help stop the UK Schools Bill.
    If you are UK resident, please sign to stop the Schools Bill. From personal experience, it is totally the wrong approach which will affect many…
  • Students using a smart phone for learning
    Does your screen time need to diet?
    Although fun and Games is focussed on games and activities that are away from computer and television screens, screens are prevalent throughout most people’s lives…
  • Children on bikes observing playground equipment wrapped with "do not use" tape
    Play Observatory – Play your part
    So how did you play during the COVID lockdowns? Was it totally online? Did you get out at all? What did you do? Well the…
  • Young child playing in stream
    A forest-based yard improved the immune system of daycare children in only a month.
    Very interesting results from a scientific study carried out in Finland looking at how the immune system in children improved only after a month when…
  • bacterial and fungal growth from 8 year olds hand print on petri dish
    It’s only natural…
    a post in February 2019 piqued my interest. It was the above image of the microbial handprint of Tasha Sturm’s own 8-year-old child after he had been playing outside… …outdoor and messy play is important not just for children’s development, but health as well.