Early childhood is a stage characterised by extremely rapid growth, and not only do young children learn from what is taught to them, but they also learn from their surroundings.
Younger preschoolers learn almost everywhere; while getting ready to eat, building structures with cushions, listening to a story being read to them, or exploring a nearby park.
All these are just common day-to-day experiences that look and are just normal occurrences in a child's life. However, they are all laying the foundations of a child's language, cognitive, and physical abilities.
Adults have learned to recognise the educational potential of these day-to-day experiences, and therefore, simple and informal events taking place in a child's life can be used for learning.
Science Supporting Learning Through Play
Learning through play is an established method of learning for young children. A child has the chance to try out their ideas, investigate cause and effect, and refine their problem-solving skills naturally and in an enjoyable way they can understand. Research has consistently shown that play is a powerful method of learning.
In a 2022 meta-analysis published in Child Development, Skene et al., explored the effectiveness of ‘guided play,’ a form of play that occurs when adults facilitate children's explorations by asking children open-ended questions or introducing new ideas, yet do not take control of the play activity.
Skene and colleagues concluded that guided play provides a means for children to be engaged in and curious about learning while being provided some minimal adult guidance. In comparison to direct instruction alone, children experienced improved learning outcomes through guided play.
Through the use of guided play, children are presented with the opportunity to learn and develop on their own while at the same time being encouraged to think and make decisions on their own. Guided play is very important in the development of children in terms of creativity, perseverance, and cooperation.
Developmental Motor Skills and Play in the First Five Years
Children spend their first five years gradually developing their motor skills. They begin with large movements like crawling, walking, climbing, running, and jumping. These are known as gross motor skills.
At the same time, they work on smaller, more controlled actions. For example, a child holding a crayon, drawing a line, or picking up small objects. These are fine motor skills and all of these help children understand the world around them.
Many child development experts agree that kids strengthen their motor skills best when playing. Consider tummy time for infants, stacking blocks, kicking balls, climbing on playground equipment, or scribbling with crayons. These simple actions do a lot: they help build muscles, develop coordination, and teach spatial awareness.
What’s interesting is how these abilities build on each other over time. In those first five years, motor skills and play evolve, each milestone leads to the next. As kids grow, their play and movements naturally become more advanced. The more they play, the more their physical skills develop.
Movement-based play helps children strengthen both their physical abilities and their critical thinking skills. For example, if a child builds a tower with blocks, he or she will better understand the foundational concepts of balance and gravity.
When a child walks up/down stairs or runs outside, they are essentially building their understanding of distances and the movement of their bodies. Both of these physical activities allow children to build neural connections in their growing brain and provide them with an opportunity to develop further skills in their later years.
Daily Routines and Development of Executive Function
In addition to supporting the development of physical skills, daily routines also support the development of executive function. Executive function is defined as the cognitive processes used to guide behaviour and thinking. Specifically, executive function includes the ability to plan, remember instructions, focus, and regulate one's behaviour.
The EFORTS (Executive Functions and Occupational Routines Scale) was tested by researchers in 2024. The goal of this study was to see if a child's daily routine (i.e., eating breakfast, playing, etc.) would be able to identify their developing executive control functions (e.g., working memory, self-control, etc.). The researchers found that daily routines are one of the most effective ways for children to develop their executive control functions.
When children have a structured routine, it provides them with a sense of independence and allows them to establish structure in their lives. For example, when a young child dresses themselves, cleans up after playing, helps set the table, etc., this creates opportunities for the child to learn how to listen and follow directions independently. This ultimately will promote the development of persistence, self-regulation, problem-solving, planning, and a sense of responsibility in children.
Language Development and Everyday Conversations
Many children develop the skills necessary to learn vocabulary through the interactions and input from their parents, teachers, etc.
Research conducted at the International Congress of Infant Studies indicates that regular conversations between adults and children could strengthen vocabulary and improve communication among young children.
A concept used by researchers studying child development called ‘serve and return,’ refers to a dialogue exchange where a child communicates verbally (words), nonverbally (gestures), or vocally (sounds), and then the other participant (most often an adult) responds and engages in further dialogue with the child. The use of ‘serve and return’ exchanges has been shown to encourage children to participate in discussions, to take turns in conversations, and to interpret meaning in others' messages.
Parents and teachers are given opportunities to interact with their children or students on a daily basis during the course of performing routine activities (cooking together, taking a walk, folding and sorting laundry, returning and organising art supplies, etc.).
These activities provide opportunities for children to be exposed to adults using language that relates to their experiences. Ideally, when interacting with children, it is most beneficial to ask open-ended questions:
- What do you think is going to happen next?
- How many apples do you think we will need?
- Why do you believe this block always falls down?
Open-ended questioning provides children with opportunities to observe, describe, and evaluate.
Early Childhood Development Through Sensory Experiences
Children are able to experience the environment through their senses while engaging in playful activities. Children explore the world using their senses when they watch something move, touch a variety of textures, and listen to a number of sounds. The connections made to what children perceive will be connected to what they are capable of doing.
Research conducted recently has shown the importance of sensory processing in motor development for infants and young children. The study by Yildiz et al., (Brain & Behavior, 2024) demonstrated that there was a strong relationship between sensory processing and both fine and gross motor skills in young children.
While children engage in play with a variety of materials, they begin to develop body awareness of how they move and experience the results of those movements. Examples of ways that children can develop sensory and motor skills that will contribute to learning include: pouring water from one container to another; molding clay; placing blocks in stacks; and creating various shapes using crayons or paint.
Translating Everyday Routines into Learning Opportunities for Kids
Parents and teachers have the potential to create a great deal of value by transforming simple daily routines into learning opportunities. With some thoughtfulness and intentionality, many of our routine daily tasks can become opportunities for children to explore and learn new skills:
- Cooking with your child gives them practice with counting, measuring and watching how ingredients turn into their favourite foods.
- Organising household objects such as washing dishes, doing laundry, and putting away toys, among other things, helps children develop early mathematical thinking through the recognition of patterns and classification.
- Role-play while completing tasks provides children with an opportunity to investigate social roles and practice communication. Cleaning their room or grocery shopping with them are two clear examples.
- Exploring nature not only promotes observation but also the scientific curiosity of children to view plants, animals, weather patterns and vast textures of nature.
This highlights that learning occurs in more than just formal lessons but in our everyday lives.
The Value of Screen-Free Play for Children
Children need more than just screens in their everyday lives. While technology has its benefits, kids truly flourish when they have the chance to build, create, draw, or dream up stories. By getting involved with hands-on, screen-free play activities and letting their imaginations soar, they discover how things work.
When families choose activities like telling stories, making forts, drawing, pretending, or simply going outside, children become engaged. They don’t just fill time, they learn to think creatively, solve problems, and build connections with others in ways that screens just can’t provide.
Learning Takes Place in the Most Ordinary of Situations
Preschoolers aren’t limited by formal lessons or textbooks. They learn best when they’re actively talking, running, playing, simply being themselves. Research in early childhood development keeps highlighting the same message: play, routines, and daily conversations fuel real cognitive, social, and physical growth in children.
So whether kids are chatting during meals or being silly at recess, they’re absorbing the world and figuring out how everything works together. When parents and teachers support this kind of playful learning, kids become curious, enthusiastic, and ready to explore. That spark stays with them, showing in everything they do each day.
