Playful Classrooms: Sparking Learning, Growth and Wellbeing Through Play

Classrooms are not meant to be quiet places. There is a constant buzz of noises blending together to make up the sounds that learning creates: sounds of curiosity, of children asking questions and marveling at answers, the sounds of risks being taken and boundaries being pushed, and, perhaps more than all, the happy sounds of playful learning.

Such curious and joyful noise fills the corridors and classrooms of Kindergarten No. 3 with Extended Program in Tulcea, Romania, which hosts one of the 23 Play, Learning and Parenting Hubs created by UNICEF with support from the LEGO Foundation and the Step by Step Center, where Romanian and Ukrainian refugee children learn and develop skills together, experiencing inclusivity through play-based pedagogies. 

Play is a fundamental aspect of a child's development, supporting many facets of their growth. Through play, children explore new concepts and come up with creative solutions to problems, expanding their creativity and building their critical thinking. “Play is essential for children. It expands their imagination, develops their creativity and puts them in different learning situations, each in their own way,” says Gabriela Trutescu, an early learning teacher who has been using play-based pedagogy for the past 20 years. “When children play freely, they have more initiative, and they become active in the game they are playing. When they see that something doesn’t go as they originally thought, they start the game over again, and they re-adjust it to new requirements,” adds Mrs. Trutescu enthusiastically, emphasizing how free play encourages children to creatively explore the world around them.  

Moreover, play enables children to develop essential social-emotional skills, such as empathy, cooperation, or conflict resolution, as they interact with others in collaborative activities.

“Free play is a great advantage in the education of children. It helps them communicate, cooperate and exchange experiences. While playing, they learn new things from each other,” says Alona Mykhaylova, a Ukrainian early education teacher who works at the Kindergarten No. 3 after fleeing the war and taking refuge in Tulcea together with her son. 

Ms. Alona and Mrs. Gabriela were among 147 dedicated educators from Romania and Ukraine who engaged in a professional learning program facilitated by the LEGO Foundation. During this course, they were trained in playful pedagogies and learning through play principles in classrooms, empowering them to effectively support both refugee children and local students, promoting inclusivity and intercultural understanding.   Mrs. Gabriela detailed the benefits of this course “From the very beginning, I tried to apply what I learned in the LEGO course in the activities with preschoolers, because I have seen them much more sociable and communicative when they play together freely. They make efforts without being aware of what they are doing, and then they also get immense satisfaction.” 

When they build forts, construct with LEGO, or play make-believe, children also acquire vital cognitive, motor, and problem-solving abilities that will last them a lifetime.

“My child has definitely developed all her skills since she has been learning through play, because this way, teachers can attract children to learn, and to develop from all points of view. Since she started this way of learning, she developed her attention, her creativity, she communicates very well with the children, and she has also learned some rules through playing," shares Ana Koti, mother to 5-year-old Catinca, who has been attending Kindergarten No. 3 since she was three years old.  

Another key benefit of play is its positive impact on children’s mental health, providing context for stress relief, self-expression, and emotional regulation. This aspect of play-based learning has been central for the inclusion of Ukrainian refugee children joining the kindergarten after fleeing the war. Mariia Stoianova fled Ukraine after the war started, and brought her four-year-old son across the border to Tulcea, to escape the bombings of her hometown. “When we arrived in Tulcea, my child was closed-off and scared because of all the stress. He wasn't even trying to communicate with other children, and he was very shy. He really liked the atmosphere in this kindergarten and after 2–3 days he became friendly with other children, and even started smiling,” Mariia shares.  

Many studies show that children who spend more time playing and learning through play experience lower rates of anxiety and depression. This is due to the fact that play-based learning creates safe and familiar spaces where children are in control, and where they can speak their minds. This way, they authentically communicate with each other, and they gain confidence and resilience, which are key for their mental health and wellbeing.

Reflecting on this, Mariia says “We, the parents of Ukrainian children, discussed together, and we all came to the conclusion that, after one year, our children have changed for the better. They have become more open, more communicative. After fleeing from the war, we all felt the trauma of the experience, especially the children, who worried about everything. With time, the experience of this kindergarten helped them forget the negative emotions experienced in the past and get over the fears they had.” 

The Play, Learning and Parenting Hubs developed by UNICEF with support from the LEGO Foundation and the Step by Step Center are inclusive spaces, where Romanian and Ukrainian children can experience the joy of learning through play, providing them with age-appropriate activities, which foster children’s emotional wellbeing and help them reach their potential.  Through the training programme facilitated by the LEGO Foundation, with the support of UNICEF, teachers were empowered to provide children with an enriched learning environment, where they can fully benefit from the growth that play sparks. Every child has the right to play, and UNICEF and its partners are committed to supporting valuable play-based education activities, which can ensure the healthy development and wellbeing for all children.