Learning through play and experience

INTRODUCTION

From January to April 2025, I participated in The Learning Expedition, an online course offered by Evolving Education. It is a personal and professional development program focused on cultivating the mindset, skills, and tools needed to support children and youth in developing key life skills. The course draws inspiration from the practices of some of the world’s most progressive learning centers.

As part of my final project, I designed an experiment and wrote an article, which was published in the

e-magazin Transformative Learning Journeys. You can read it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RWeAwVPjuhUpfcXAuddyMwuRugK1ccaO/view

1. EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE

Over the past year, I’ve been exploring learning through play and experimentation. I was also deeply inspired by several topics during the Learning Expedition, which encouraged me to dive deeper into this field. One quote that really resonated with me was by Floris Koot: “Play is how nature invented learning.” I’ve also drawn inspiration from Peter Gray’s work.

I carried out two playful learning experiments with my boys, aged 4, 7, and 9:

●       One focused on learning musical notes using salt dough.

●       The other involved “engineering” a spinning top using snap cubes.

Kids naturally love to create and construct—whether it’s with Legos, clay, building materials found in nature, or even Minecraft. I often tap into their evolving interests to prepare small “learning stations” or “morning learning invitations.”

Since my boys are mostly kinaesthetic learners, I try to create educational setups that involve movement and hands-on experiences. My goals are to:

●       Build lasting knowledge.

●       Make learning fun.

●       Encourage creativity.

●       Use various available materials.

●       Nurture intrinsic motivation.

●       Follow the child’s curiosity and interests.

In everything I design, I aim to make learning joyful, meaningful, and rooted in real engagement.

2. WHAT DID WE DO?

a)     SALT DOUGH, MUSICAL NOTES AND SOLMIZATION SYLLABLES

My oldest son is really interested in clay, and recently he became curious about music and musical notes. He was highly motivated to learn the notes and solmization syllables, which made this the perfect opportunity for an engaging and memorable learning experience.

Since I didn’t have any natural or artificial clay on hand, we decided to make our own salt dough – a simple, eco- and budget-friendly option.

We used this easy recipe:

●       250 g plain flour

●       125 g table salt

●       125 ml warm water

We measured all the ingredients using a kitchen scale, and at the end, we added a bit of food colouring to make the dough more fun to work with. I also created a five-line staff using masking tape.

First, my son sculpted four types of notes (whole, half, quarter, and eighth) along with a treble clef. Then, I gave him instructions—for example: “Use the whole note, place it on the RE position, and sing it out.” After a few turns, we switched roles and he began directing me.

By the end, both his younger brothers joined in, and the activity became even more fun and collaborative.

Making notes, treble clef, connecting notes positions and solmization syllables:

b)     SNAP CUBES AND CREATING A SPINNER TOP

My boys became really interested in spinning objects. At first, they explored a simple electric circuit by connecting a mini fan to a battery. Then, with the help of an elderly friend of their grandfather, they created a huge spinning fan from recycled materials. They were also fascinated by playing with frisbees—so I got an idea!

One morning, we had a discussion about objects that move by spinning: windmills, fidget spinners, computer fans, spinning tops, and more. We talked about why we use them, how they work, and where we’ve seen them in everyday life. That conversation sparked a new project: we would become “engineers” and build our own spinning tops using snap cubes.

The main objective was to construct a spinner that could spin for the longest time. We tested each design and measured how long it spun. If a spinner didn’t work well or didn’t spin long enough, the boys were encouraged to improve it and try again. We used a trial-and-error approach—mistakes weren’t failures, but opportunities to learn and improve.

We also observed what worked well in other designs and tried to recreate successful spinner tops. It became a fun blend of creativity, critical thinking, and playful experimentation.

Here are some examples of our spinners that we constructed:

3. REFLECTION

As a homeschooling mom, I spend a lot of time with my kids. This gives me the opportunity to observe them closely and notice what motivates them and what sparks their curiosity. For me, the greatest satisfaction is seeing the light in their eyes when they discover or understand something new.

Through these two experiences, I’ve learned:

●       Following a child’s interest is key to keeping them motivated and curious.

●       To let them learn from their mistakes and not interrupt the process too early.

●       The value of connecting different learning areas—using a cross-curricular approach. In these two experiments, we brought together art, music, science, and math.

●       How important it is to relate learning to real life.

●       That we truly enjoy exploring possibilities and sharing our work with others.

●       That you don’t need expensive resources to create meaningful learning experiences.

I’m going to continue creating these types of learning opportunities because they’re incredibly valuable for both me and my family. They allow me to be creative in how I design each learning unit, and they bring joy, curiosity, and connection into our everyday lives.

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