Actions of Play (Weaving Play Schemas into Inquiry-Based Learning and Project Work)

Understand play schemas to see inside children’s minds. Actions of Play builds on recent research and revelations about play schemas to transform understandings of play-based learning and project work in early childhood programs. Play schemas are the patterns of actions that play takes—transporting, enclosing, rotating, and more—the verbs of play rather than the nouns. The repetitive behaviors, play patterns, and play intentions of schemas facilitate children’s brain development and also help them make sense of their world. 

Schemas take the place of noun-based topics in project work, increasing children’s creativity and complex thought. Schemas give educators insight into children as they work out problems and increase their understandings through play. The authors ask: How might we build a curriculum using play schemas? How might we interweave our children’s play with play schemas and create projects? Featuring gorgeous and abundant photos, Actions of Play shares the stories of their programs and their documentation and action research as play schemas became the bedrock of their curricula.