Session 1 - Playful explorers: Understanding the world through playful discoveries

Little Explorers: Understanding the World through Playful Discoveries Jemma Joakim, Head of Early Years and Primary Curriculum 10 March 2026 09:00 to 10:00 UTC

“Playing let’s me be a thinker, like a real explorer!”

Leone, age 4

The Cambridge Early Years – Six curriculum areas Communication and literacy Creative expression Mathematics Physical development Personal, social and emotional development

The scope of the area • Core Concept • Holistic approach • Three lenses

Re-framing the area • Make sense of complexity • Connect with diverse cultures and places • Feel at home in uncertainty

“When we play, we can go anywhere, even to places I don’t know yet!”

Matias, age 5

Curiosity grows in play • Play sparks discovery, imagination and understanding • Play is how children explore • Play makes the world meaningful

Play + surprise = deep learning • Surprise grabs children’s attention • Curiosity arises where prediction fails • Unexpected moments spark investigation • Discovery grows from asking, ‘Why did that happen?’

“I like finding and touching things outside. It’s exciting!”

Leila, age 3

Awe and wonder “The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.”

Maria Montessori

Tiny moments, big curriculum decisions • ‘When the wind comes from the desert, it feels like a hairdryer!’

• ‘Why do birds disappear when it gets cold?’

• ‘Why does the drain eat rain?’

• ‘My hands hurt when I touch the snow, is it angry?’

• ‘Where does the sun go when it goes to sleep?’

“Children are powerful learners.

Every child can make progress in their learning, with the right help.”

Julian Grenier, lead author of Development Matters

What ‘understanding’ looks like • Experiential learning • Curiosity and pattern recognition • Building knowledge over time

The world they inhabit

Are we introducing the world we remember when we were young or the one they live in now?

Continuous provision as a link to the world • Provides constant opportunities for exploration across all areas of learning • Encourages child-led inquiry in familiar, enriched spaces • Connects home experiences with the wider world • Supports language development • Enables scientific thinking • Builds cultural awareness

“Children flourish in environments where they feel valued, respected and able to make choices.”

Sally Featherstone, ‘Creating the high-quality learning environment’

Adult role in provision • Facilitator • Observer • Co-player • Guide • Supporter of social interaction • Communicator • Language developer • Planner

Notice, name, nudge!

• ‘It feels rough and crumbly!’

• ‘This one is heavier than that one.’

• What do you think might happen next?’

• ‘What else does this remind you of?’

• ‘I wonder why that happened?’

“It is the timing, sensitivity and quality of our interactions that determine whether we are supporting or interrupting learning.”

Julie Fisher, ‘Interacting or Interfacing’

Planning for discovery • Logical learning progression • Local to global experiences • First-hand to secondary learning • Authentic engagement • Audit provision

Understanding the World includes understanding that we all experience it differently…

Invitations to play • Start small • Use familiar spaces • Children’s interests drive the learning • Plan gentle provocations

How to spark curiosity

“When children choose what to do, they become deeply engaged and deep-level learning follows.”

Anna Ephgrave, The Nursery Year in Action

We are not preparing our children for a fixed future; we are helping them dance into a changing world.

Your setting, your steps How might you adapt your practice?

What changes might you make to your learning environment?

How might you support everyone working in your setting to develop confidence with this strand?

What action do you need to take and how can SMT support?

Thank you!

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Next steps Getting started with play-based learning in early years https://cambrid.ge/play-based-learning-getting-started

Explore Cambridge Early Years​ www.cambridgeinternational.org/earlyyears