The school director asked us how they could improve on their play-based learning methods with the early learners. We offered to start with an analysis. After one week of observations and interviews, we submitted a report to show what was going well and where improvements would be necessary or desirable.

The analysis concluded that the teachers needed more background knowledge on child development. They could also do with more practical ideas on how to apply playful activities in their daily lessons and provide free play time on a regular basis. There was also the need for appropriate play materials in the classroom.

We now offer a monthly training session with the teachers, and every month we bring some nice materials. We use these in the training, teaching the teachers to use the materials resourcefully. Then the materials stay in the school for regular use. Naturally we brought some of our own games and materials – every school should at least have a bag of cap bags – but we also purchased educational materials for this specific purpose. The bottom line is that you can implement play-based learning with limited resources.