Play as Research: What Teachers Can Learn by Watching Children Investigate

Authors

• Kailey Price, Weber State UniversityFollow

Abstract

This article invites educators to view children's play through the lens of play as research. Through the story of a classroom rock investigation and other everyday examples, it highlights how children naturally ask questions, test ideas, solve problems, and build understanding through play. Rather than seeing play as a break from learning, educators can learn to recognize the inquiry already taking place in moments such as digging in dirt, collecting natural materials, building structures, or investigating puddles after rain. The article introduces three simple reflection questions teachers can use to better understand children's thinking. It also describes practical ways to extend investigations without taking over and offers classroom-based strategies for observing play, responding to children's questions, documenting learning, and making children's thinking visible to families. By viewing children as capable investigators and themselves as partners in discovery, educators can build on children's interests, deepen inquiry, and make learning more visible in everyday classroom experiences.

Recommended Citation

Price, Kailey (2026) "Play as Research: What Teachers Can Learn by Watching Children Investigate," Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators: Vol. 2: Iss. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://repository.lsu.edu/spark/vol2/iss3/3