Learning Through Play: How Play Builds Early Literacy, Maths & Social Skills

A Kidz Kabin guide grounded in EYFS, child development research and real nursery practice. If you're currently choosing a nursery, understanding how children learn through play can help you spot high-quality practice during your tour. Our guide How to Choose the Right Nursery explains what to look for.

Play is the most powerful tool children have. It is not an “extra”, but rather, play forms the foundation of early learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is built on this principle, and decades of child development research reinforce that play strengthens memory, language, problem-solving, emotional regulation and social understanding.

At Kidz Kabin, play is not accidental. Every sensory tray, every forest school session, every musical circle and every messy experiment is intentionally designed to build key developmental skills. The beauty of it all is that our children are simply having fun whilst learning.

Early Literacy: How Play Builds Language, Sound Awareness & Writing Readiness

Literacy begins long before a child holds a pencil. It starts with listening, watching, joining in and, of course, playing.

In our baby and toddler rooms, story time is one of the richest literacy-building moments of the day. When a practitioner sits on the carpet and our little ones gather round, captivated by the rhythm of a familiar book, they’re developing far more than a love of stories. They learn new vocabulary, practise turn-taking, anticipate repeated phrases and build the early listening skills that later support phonics.

Music and rhythm play an equally important role. During nursery rhyme sessions, children tap out rhythms using claves, clap syllables, mimic sound patterns and experiment with pitch. These joyful sessions help children recognise rhyme, distinguish between sounds and break words into parts, which are all essential steps towards early reading and writing.

Physical mark-making is another key component. Vertical painting activities, such as brushing bold strokes across materials stretched between frames, strengthen shoulder and wrist stability; the muscles needed for writing. Messy play activities like drawing shapes in rice or pressing patterns into playdough build the fine motor control and pincer grip required long before pencil control develops.

Early Mathematics: Building Number Sense, Spatial Awareness & Logical Thinking

Maths in early childhood happens most effectively when it’s hands-on, sensory and rooted in real experience.

Children naturally explore mathematical concepts during play when they scoop, pour, sort and compare materials. For instance, when toddlers busily filled pots and cups in our Pudsey-themed tuff tray, they were experimenting with volume, estimating quantities, and testing cause and effect (“When I scoop more, the pile gets bigger”). Without realising it, they were developing one-to-one correspondence, early addition and the foundations of quantity understanding.

Pattern and shape also emerge through play. The Blue Room’s jellyfish tuff tray, for example, with its multicoloured pasta “tentacles”, inspired the children to group colours, create repeated sequences, and notice similarities and differences; all key components of mathematical reasoning.

Outdoor learning takes these concepts further. An example here may be when our preschoolers work together to dig large holes in the forest school area. What looks like simple digging is actually mathematical exploration: predicting depth, comparing tools, estimating size, testing resistance in the soil and negotiating space. These experiences build spatial reasoning, logical thinking and problem-solving in a way no worksheet could match.

Social Development: Learning to Communicate, Collaborate & Self-Regulate Through Play

Play is the natural arena where children learn how to be with others. The EYFS highlights personal, social and emotional development as a prime area because it underpins everything else.

Group play teaches children how to cooperate, share ideas and manage emotions. When several children gather around a tuff tray or outdoor digging spot, they practise turn-taking, negotiate roles and adjust to one another’s ideas. Through simple interactions such as “You hold the spade, I’ll dig this bit”, they learn the early foundations of communication and conflict resolution.

Sensory play also supports emotional regulation. Activities that involve scooping, raking, squeezing and pouring provide calming, rhythmic input that helps children manage big feelings. It's why messy play often helps children settle into their day.

Confidence grows naturally through child-led play. When children choose their materials, make decisions and test their own ideas, they build independence and self-belief. A child who carefully adds pasta pieces to a jellyfish tray or eagerly joins a digging team is not only exploring materials, but they’re also discovering what they can do.

For a deeper look at how children grow across the early years, from first words to school readiness, our EYFS milestones guide outlines what parents can expect at every stage.

How Kidz Kabin Designs Play That Truly Supports Development

High-quality play doesn’t happen by accident. At Kidz Kabin we ensure play is:

Purposeful

Every activity has an EYFS-linked learning intention, even if it looks like messy fun to the children.

Developmentally tailored

Babies explore sensory materials and early language; toddlers dive into messy play, music and movement; preschoolers take on problem-solving, early maths and literacy-rich play.

Inclusive

SEND needs are naturally integrated into every activity, with adaptations that support participation without singling out.

Outdoor-rich

Daily outdoor time, from forest school adventures to simple garden exploration, accelerates learning, boosts wellbeing and supports physical development. The Guardian recently reported how increased forest exposure in preschools dramatically improved children’s health and focus.

Scaffolded by skilled practitioners

Adults extend thinking by asking open-ended questions such as:

• “What do you think will happen next?”

• “How could we change this?”

• “What else could we use?”

These prompts transform simple play into higher-level learning.

Play Is Learning, And It’s Happening All Day Long

From tuff trays and outdoor forest school activities to music sessions and story circles, play builds the foundations for literacy, maths, communication, resilience and independence. When play is intentional, rich and joy-filled, children learn more deeply and more confidently.

At Kidz Kabin, play isn’t a break from learning. Play is learning. And it’s happening every time a child picks up a brush, digs into the soil, sings a rhyme, or pours a cup of rice with full concentration and delight.

If you’re exploring nurseries and want to know how to recognise strong early years practice, our complete parent guide How to Choose the Right Nursery is a great next read.