Play As Learning

Written by Ms Felicity Donohue (Deputy Head of Primary - PYP)

17 June 2026

Play in the Primary Years is a powerful form of experiential learning that evolves from Prep through to Year 6.

Throughout the Primary School, we use play to build understanding within and beyond the curriculum. From our youngest students to our leaders in Year 6, play helps our students make sense of their learning by being active participants who take risks, think critically, and work to make sense of complexity.

In Prep, play is how learning happens. It sets up the day for our students who are welcomed into a carefully designed set of experiences that allows students to explore units of inquiry, build language, manage self-regulation and develop confidence. Drawing on Reggio Emilia principles, students engage in purposeful, social play, rich in opportunities to make meaning. Our environment invites curiosity, and conversations between students and teachers drive thinking and shared understanding.

“When I come in to play, it starts my happy day. I learn about living things and how to hang out clothes and learn how to blow bubbles. I get to have so much fun with my friends!” - Amelia M, Prep H

Our buddy program shifts play into a social and shared experience. Learning becomes genuinely two-way, with older and younger students working alongside each other, explaining their thinking and learning together. This is seen in our Prep and Year 6 buddies, where play builds connection and confidence as our youngest learners begin their schooling journey. It continues in Year 1 and Year 5, where students combine STEAM learning with play to explore concepts such as living and non-living things in meaningful, practical ways.

“My buddy helped me to learn about what living and non-living things are. I get to have fun with my buddy. He helps me with what to say, and he also helps me when I’m feeling nervous.”  - Liam E, 1M  

“I like how we interact with our buddies. It’s exciting and fun to see them think. It’s fun learning with them. It feels like I’m the teacher. My buddy is very interactive, and he’s very warm-hearted. He has a big heart, and he’s so smart. It’s surprising how smart the younger students are.” -Kavish K, 5C

In Year 6, play takes on a more structured and experiential form through our government role-plays. Students take on positions within the government and work through the realities of decision-making when passing a law. They begin to see how perspectives, responsibilities and processes interact in real time. This gives students the opportunity to test ideas, navigate complexity and see how systems actually function.

“When we did our government role-plays, we learnt about the systems and roles of government. When you act it out, you’re putting yourself in the place of the people and get to see the system through someone else’s perspective. You get to experience how government works rather than reading about it and figuring it out in your head.” -Freya P 6J

We know students learn best when they are actively involved in meaningful, relevant and engaging experiences. Designing learning that is driven by agency, shaped by inquiry and connected to the real world reflects the core of the PYP. Play is a critical pathway to deep, conceptual understanding, growing in sophistication as learning deepens. Play, in all its forms, supports the development of students’ curiosity and independence. These attributes are central to learning and ones we want our learners to carry beyond the classroom.  

At home, families play an important role in supporting this way of learning. Playing, talking, exploring and wondering are powerful extensions of what happens at school. To support this, we have shared five ways you could support your child as a PYP parent/guardian. This document highlights practical and achievable ways to connect with your child’s learning and encourage their natural curiosity.  

When school and home work together in this way, we see the greatest growth in who our students are and how they learn.