Michelle Windridge explores three influential approaches to play-based learning from across the globe…
Play is a universal language. From sandpits in Sydney to forest dens in Scandinavia, children across the world learn, explore, and express themselves through play.
While cultural traditions and pedagogical models vary, there is increasing global consensus that play is essential for early childhood development.
In the UK, educators frequently look beyond borders to draw inspiration from international models of play-based learning.
As the early years sector evolves to meet the complex needs of today’s children, these global insights can help to inform more holistic, child-centred practice.
So, pop on your imaginary explorer’s hat, pack your curiosity and let’s globe-trot through the playful pedagogies shaping early years practice worldwide.
Scandinavian countries, particularly Finland, Sweden and Norway, have long been regarded as trailblazers in early childhood education.
Central to their approach is friluftsliv (open-air living). This is a cultural commitment to outdoor life, which is embedded in forest school models.
In Norway barnehager (kindergartens) often take place entirely outdoors, whatever the weather. Children climb trees, build shelters, and cook on open fires.
The emphasis is not on preparing children for formal learning but on nurturing independence, problem-solving and resilience through unstructured exploration.
This ethos has grown in popularity in the UK, where forest school initiatives have flourished in recent years.
Practitioners inspired by Scandinavian models are increasingly weaving outdoor learning into their curriculum, using nature to support children’s emotional regulation, physical development and social collaboration.
However, despite good intentions, outdoor learning in the UK is still often treated as an “add-on”. This is rather than an integral part of a child’s daily experience, particularly once a child starts school.
This may be due to curriculum pressures, logistical challenges or perhaps because the deep-rooted cultural value placed on being outdoors, so evident in Scandinavian countries, is not yet as firmly embedded in UK society.
A 2021 study by Harris found that children in forest school settings displayed increased confidence, empathy and wellbeing. These benefits echo those seen in Nordic countries for decades.
This research suggests that it is essential that we continue to challenge the barriers, whether practical, cultural or curricular, that stand in the way of fully embracing outdoor learning.
Early years education in Italy continues to reflect a deeply embedded respect for children as capable, active participants in their own learning, a philosophy most notably exemplified in the world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach.
While the approach began in the town of Reggio Emilia after the Second World War, its principles have influenced early childhood provision more widely across Italy, especially in preschools (scuole dell’infanzia) for children aged three to six.
Today, many Italian early years settings, whether formally Reggio-inspired or not, favour environments that support expressive, inquiry-led learning.
Classrooms often resemble studios more than traditional learning spaces, filled with open-ended materials that invite exploration, collaboration and creative thinking.
Children are encouraged to express themselves through multiple modes, what founder Loris Malaguzzi called “the hundred languages of children”, including drawing, sculpture, music, movement and imaginative play.
Educators in Italy work in close partnership with children, observing their interests, documenting their thinking, and designing projects that emerge from real-life encounters or questions posed by the children themselves.
This project-based, relational approach fosters not only cognitive development but also social understanding, empathy and a sense of belonging.
In the UK, the Reggio Emilia philosophy continues to inspire early years educators, particularly in the use of documentation to make children’s learning visible.
A report by the British Early Childhood Education Research Association (Documenting Children’s Learning: Reflective Practices in Early Years Settings, 2022) highlighted the growing number of UK settings adopting reflective, child-led practices rooted in listening, observation and co-construction of learning.
However, this vision is not without its challenges. With growing demands on the early years sector and the government’s narrative increasingly centred around “school readiness”, there is a risk that narrow definitions of progress may overshadow broader developmental goals.
The pressure to prepare children for formal schooling, often interpreted through a lens of early literacy and numeracy benchmarks, can sit uncomfortably alongside more holistic, inquiry-based approaches.
As such, creating the conditions for deep, meaningful learning in the spirit of Italian pedagogy may require not only pedagogical commitment, but also a wider cultural and policy shift in how we value early childhood.
Japan offers a unique blend of structure and spontaneity in early years education. While play is deeply valued, it often coexists with strong routines and expectations around social behaviour.
One striking example is the emphasis on kansei, the cultivation of aesthetic sensibilities and emotional intelligence.
Japanese kindergartens (yochien) frequently feature dramatic play areas and artistic pursuits that support children in recognising and managing emotions, working harmoniously in groups, and appreciating beauty in their surroundings.
The Japanese approach also offers a valuable example of how to strike a balance between free play and group-led activities, an area that many UK practitioners continue to navigate with difficulty amid curriculum and accountability pressures.
Questions like “How much adult-led time is too much?” or “Will children be ready for Year 1 if we don’t start phasing out play by the end of Reception?” reflect the real tensions faced in practice.
Ask any early years educator in the UK about the importance of play, and you’re likely to hear a passionate, heartfelt response in its favour.
However, when it comes to finding the right balance between child-initiated play and adult-led learning, opinions often diverge.
The debate around how best to structure the early years remains complex and shaped as much by policy expectations as by pedagogical beliefs.
Recent research by Uchida et al. has highlighted how Japan’s early years system successfully blends play with adult-led learning, fostering both individual creativity and a strong sense of group responsibility.
Their findings suggest there is still much the UK can learn from Japan’s thoughtful balance between child-initiated exploration and structured guidance.
As the UK continues to evolve its early years pedagogy, international models offer a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration.
While no single approach offers a universal solution, weaving together the threads of global play pedagogy allows for a richer, more inclusive, and more responsive early childhood experience.
In the words of Loris Malaguzzi, “Nothing without joy.” And in that spirit, let us continue to learn from our global neighbours and nurture joyful, playful and meaningful early learning experiences for every child.
Trust the child: across cultures, effective play-based learning trusts in children’s innate drive to explore and make sense of the world through play.
Environment matters: whether in forests or classrooms, the learning environment is a critical “teacher” in supporting agency and curiosity.
Documentation as reflection: observing, recording and reflecting on children’s play supports deeper understanding and more responsive teaching.
Balance freedom and structure: purposeful play doesn’t mean a lack of planning; global approaches show that structure can coexist with spontaneity.
Michelle Windridge is the national education lead for school-based EYFS at Twinkl.
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