Aditi Joshi, formerly associated with Sportyze, explains how children learn best when they are free to move, explore, and play. In today’s world, where children are addicted to screens and gadgets, active play is slowly disappearing from early childhood education. Bringing play back into learning is essential for healthy and balanced development.
We need to be independent of certain mindsets and be open to including active play in the way we see early childhood education. Today, we are diving deep into how early childhood education must evolve for the 21st century. We will explore the Sportyze philosophy that brings sport into everyday learning by integrating active play into preschool education. This approach is not backed merely by thought, but by compelling research and real-world examples. Together, we envision a brighter, more active future for our youngest learners.
Let me begin with a memory. Imagine this: a dusty open field, barefoot children, shouts of “Koko run” echoing through the air. One child darts left, another makes a quick move, and others crouch, ready to sprint. There is no trophy, no screen, no reward, and no adults telling them how to play. This is the childhood that many of us probably lived. There was a symphony of learning in that play.
Fast forward to today, and we see children indoors, staring at screens, swiping endlessly, heads bent down, fingers tapping. The body is still, and the mind is distracted. We are not just witnessing a change in childhood; we are witnessing a loss. A loss of movement, a loss of spontaneity, and a loss of something fundamental to being human.
This makes it imperative to explore why active play matters now more than ever, how traditional childhood games shaped us in powerful ways, and how we can create and nurture similar environments today despite challenges such as extreme weather conditions, limited parental time, nuclear families, and changing lifestyles. We must rethink early childhood education to reclaim joy, movement, and the true purpose of learning. As Albert Einstein once said, “Play is the highest form of research.” Let us understand what that research truly means.
Play in early childhood is child-led exploration. Let the child be free. Let the child be inquisitive. Let the child pick up an apple and say, “It is red, but I like green apples.” Or if a child says, “That is a blue apple,” do not limit their imagination. Instead, try to understand why the child thought the apple should be blue and what associative memory they bring with them.
Play is not idle time. It is a child’s natural way of learning. It is spontaneous, voluntary, and intrinsically motivated, allowing children to direct their own discoveries. This process must be honoured. For those involved in early childhood education and preschool curriculum development, it is important to give way to child-led exploration. Preschool is a process, not a product. It is always a work in progress. The emphasis should be on the journey, not the destination.
Children engage in play for the sheer joy of it. Through play, they develop creativity and problem-solving skills without external pressure. Active engagement is essential. Whether building a tower, pretending to be a superhero, splashing in puddles, or playing in a pool, play involves active participation, engaging both the mind and body in meaningful ways.
When we were children, there was minimal adult intervention. We played on the streets, fell, got hurt, and learned to manage it ourselves. Today, parenting styles have become much softer. While coercion or harsh discipline is never advocated, it is important to acknowledge that children learn deeply through play. They build memory, language, emotional regulation, and self-control.
Active engagement may involve scratches, dirty clothes, or sweat. These are not things to panic about. Children do not need air-conditioned rooms and digital screens. They need spaces where they can simply be. Through play, children develop mental agility, leadership, negotiation skills, emotional regulation, and patience.
From traditional games to purposeful play spaces
Traditional games taught us essential life skills. Hide-and-seek taught spatial awareness, timing, and strategy. Koko taught teamwork, decision-making, and planning under pressure. The question is how we recreate these experiences in today’s context. Play supports cognitive development, language and communication, social and emotional growth, physical wellbeing, creativity, and innovation. Yet modern life presents challenges such as extreme weather and limited family time. The solution lies in evolving child-centric spaces designed specifically for children.
Many parents experience this conflict during weekends at shopping malls, where children are dragged along to adult-oriented activities. The only option often available is a soft play area with little structure, leaving parents worried about safety, learning, and meaningful engagement. This is where intentional environments matter. At Sportyze, as a preschool, daycare, and after-school gymnastics academy, physical development is integrated thoughtfully into learning. Children have access to world-class infrastructure designed exclusively for them—spaces to climb, crawl, hop, run, and explore. These activities develop hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and core stability, all in a joyful, musical environment.
Neuroscience tells us that movement drives brain growth. That is why Sportyze incorporates a mandatory 45 minutes of daily active play into the preschool and daycare schedule. Children lead their learning in playful ways, experiencing both victory and defeat. Through play, they learn negotiation, conflict resolution, empathy, and self-regulation. As psychologist Stuart Brown said, play is not the opposite of work; it is the foundation of all growth.
Play, learning, and development
Play exists on a spectrum of engagement. Preschool should not be reduced to a collection of labelled activities. No toy or structured activity can replace a child’s natural inclination towards play. Unoccupied play involves random movement without a clear purpose. Solitary play allows children to focus independently on activities like sorting or building. Onlooker play occurs when children observe others before joining. Parallel play sees children playing side by side without direct interaction. Associative play involves sharing materials without a common goal, helping build attention and motivation. Cooperative play includes shared goals, rules, and roles.
Understanding these stages helps educators and parents create supportive environments. The educator’s role is to facilitate, not direct. Observing children’s play allows educators to adapt learning environments gently and meaningfully. At Sportyze, educators provide rich, open-ended environments that spark curiosity. Classrooms are designed with open structures, natural elements, art supplies, sand play, and free-play zones. Learning is scaffolded by introducing thoughtful challenges and questions. For example, storytelling sessions may explore alternative outcomes, encouraging critical thinking and imagination. Protecting uninterrupted playtime within the curriculum is essential, as play is central to holistic development.
Parents play a vital role as partners in play. Toddler gymnastics programmes allow children aged 18 months to 3.5 years to engage in active play with a trusted adult. These sessions enhance gross motor skills, coordination, and imagination in a joyful setting. Parents are encouraged to create designated play spaces at home, provide open-ended toys, and limit screen time. While screens may offer temporary convenience, excessive use poses long-term developmental challenges.
Mess and mistakes are part of learning. Clay, paint, and handprints may be inconvenient, but they signal deep engagement. These experiences validate children’s curiosity and creativity and should be embraced. We should not discourage them from making a mess of things.
An increasing focus on early academics is inadvertently robbing children of foundational learning experiences. Many preschools emphasise outcomes over processes, leading to a play deficit that affects resilience, problem-solving, and social skills. Sportyze addresses this through a proprietary curriculum integrating numeracy, literacy, communication, storytelling, general awareness, and physical fitness, with active play at its core. Advocating for play-based learning at the policy and community levels is essential.
Research shows that most preschoolers spend less than one hour in active play daily, far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of three hours. Meanwhile, children aged two to five average over three hours of screen time daily. This imbalance leads to reduced motor skills, social-emotional delays, and diminished creativity. Screens offer instant gratification, while play builds patience, focus, and resilience. Screens isolate; play connects. Long-term reliance on passive entertainment affects attention, emotional regulation, and social competence.
Sportyze integrates structured sessions, obstacle courses, team games, and imaginative storytelling-based movement into daily learning. Free-play zones and guided play ensure that children experience active learning consistently. Research confirms that playful learning boosts engagement, enhances executive function, and fosters creativity and problem-solving. Teaching academics without physical competence limits holistic development. Growth cannot be rushed; it must be nurtured.
Parents frequently report improvements in focus, sleep, happiness, and social interaction after joining Sportyze. Shy children become confident leaders, demonstrating the transformative power of active play. Many parents have doubts as to which method is ok to bring in discipline among children. But I feel the parents should set an example by establishing a routine, following it without fail, and not giving up when the child starts screaming. Once the parents know how to do this, there need not be any disciplining for the children. They are frustrated as they think nobody understands or listens to them. We should spend time understanding them and regulating them.
Active play and future of education
Active play is a catalyst for educational reform. It prepares children not just academically, but also as resilient, creative, and socially adept individuals. Sportyze champions movement-based learning, using the whole body to teach. Educators are trained to observe play scientifically and create environments that encourage exploration. Risk is not the enemy; it is the teacher. Children need opportunities to build emotional intelligence and resilience. Parents and policymakers must value unstructured time, promote screen-free experiences, and protect play within early education. By reimagining childhood education together, we can restore joy, movement, and meaning to learning. Play is not optional. It is essential. By embracing the power of play, we ignite joy and nurture futures. Let us champion play together.
It is up to us to let our children sit with rapt attention in front of the screens and be underdeveloped. Or we can choose a path without children running, playing, building, fighting, and learning through play. A child should be appreciated not only for their reading ability in early years, but also for showing kindness in a game. A wounded knee should be seen as a mark of their learning while playing, and parents should not get tense about infection or consider it a failure at a play school. The children should get the talent to play, live, and learn. We have to come forward to develop a healthy and capable future generation. The world should allow the child to learn by playing and enjoying.
Educators as facilitators of play and growth
Adequate training through a playful, active curriculum that lays emphasis on confidence and creativity is given to the educators. The teacher should know how to lead by example, bring things and experiences that are child-led. They should learn to give only soft instructions and to learn and unlearn. A successful educator should learn first for themselves and learn to bring creativity. The educator should be willing to observe and understand the glitter the children bring into life. The educator should focus on having an emotional contact with the child, observing how they learn, what they say, about their movements, behaviour, and how they take their learning to the next level.
Preparing children for digital future through play
There should be logical, emotional, and reasoning abilities, which will come only when they reduce their screen time. We have to limit the screen time and get them into active play for more time to become better citizens. There is going to be a lot of mental stress in the future as the world is going to be a digital AI world. The children should know how to differentiate between the real and virtual worlds, and to control their emotions; they will not be successful. We have to train the children by including play in learning. We should nurture them at a holistic level. In the next few years, technology will evolve very fast. We are already living in a totally different world. The children should be socially and emotionally prepared to accept it, feel secure, and they should be ready to face any challenge in the future, emotionally and socially. There should be only play.
Empowering children for better tomorrow
The future is going to be very creative. The children will learn to find their way as the parents and educational institutions will teach them to stay away from screens and use them only when needed. We should know our responsibility to teach the children. Today’s children are very smart and know many things. We should only have the patience to listen, observe, and participate with them in their activities. We should be responsible adults and role models for the future generations. We need to trust the children, give them the space in the world, and it will be a beautiful place for them and for us.
Contact details
Aditi Joshi
Formerly associated with Sportyze
M: 74996 86192
E: aditijoshi.83@gmail.com