At The Merrell Kindergarten, a group of children created a bar graph using Duplo to map their favourite ice creams. One child paused mid-activity and asked, “If I change my mind and move my block, does that mean I’m changing the data?”
That simple, deeply insightful question shows us exactly what play can do. Through exploration and experimentation, children develop the kind of critical thinking and problem-solving that we often associate with older learners. And they do it best when the learning is playful.
At ECMS, we don’t see play as something separate from learning. We see it as the engine of it.
When children play, they reflect, adjust, test ideas, collaborate, and build persistence. It’s how they learn to think. And while the play might look simple to the untrained eye - moving blocks, counting leaves, pouring water - the thinking it provokes is powerful.
As Early Childhood Teacher Rebecca Waingold reflected, “That’s telling you a lot about that child’s ability to think, and to really think deeply”.
Deep thinking in small moments
What might seem like a light activity often holds enormous learning value. ECMS Practice Coach Melissa Dann explained that what appears incidental - children bringing treasures from the garden - can become a rich mathematical and conceptual experience:
“You respond: ‘Look at that! We’ve got three rocks and two leaves - how many have we got all together?’ And we’ve got five! We’re going from surface learning to deep learning.”
This kind of educator response invites children into more than just number knowledge - it sparks curiosity, reasoning, and the confidence to test their own theories about the world. And it’s not limited to maths. Across all domains of learning, play lays the foundation for thinking.
Theoretical roots, lived practice
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF v2.0) reminds us that children are “active participants and decision-makers in their learning,” and that high-quality play experiences enable them to “develop a range of thinking skills such as problem solving, hypothesising, and investigating” (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022, p. 29).
Similarly, the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) highlights how reflective thinking emerges when children are encouraged to explore and test ideas in open-ended ways (DET, 2016).
At ECMS, we see these frameworks in action every day - not as abstract principles, but as living pedagogy.
Meeting children where they are
At times, supporting critical thinking means knowing when to model, when to scaffold, and when to step back. ECMS Practice Coach Rosemary Monagle recalls working with a child who would remove puzzle pieces but didn’t know how to return them:
“I showed him how to put in one piece to start with. Then I put in the rest and named them just to support his continued exploration. Hopefully next time he can put in one piece and then next time, possibly two.”
This is Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development in action - the space where children grow when supported by a responsive educator. As Head of Pedagogy Emma Forsyth explains, “Differentiation means we take a different approach depending on what’s needed, in the context of place. What do children know, and what are they ready to learn next?”
This approach builds children’s capacity to tackle challenges, persist through setbacks, and see themselves as capable thinkers.
It's about every child
Problem-solving and critical thinking are not just outcomes for a select few. They belong to every child, in every context.
Emma makes it clear: “We’re not only talking about children with a diagnosis, or children who have experienced trauma. We’re talking about every single child who may need something a little different to enter into learning”.
And when the environment honours that diversity - when educators respond with flexibility, curiosity and care - then play becomes an inclusive pathway into thinking for all children.
Because when a child moves a block on a Duplo graph and questions the data, or tests a puzzle piece one more time, or counts rocks and leaves with wonder in their voice - they’re doing more than playing.
They’re solving problems. They’re asking questions. They’re building the thinking that will carry them far beyond the sandpit.
References
Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (v2.0). Canberra: DESE.
Department of Education and Training (DET). (2016). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework: For all children from birth to eight years. Melbourne: State Government of Victoria.