Thinking through the challenge of a play-based curriculum: increasing playfulness via co-construction

This chapter identifies some of the challenges faced by practitioners in trying to implement a play-based curriculum. The authors argue that one of the biggest challenges relates to theoretical ambiguity regarding the construct of play and that this permeates all aspects of practice. In keeping with current ideology regarding listening to children, a new way of conceptualising play is proposed based on children’s own perspectives of play. Drawing on current and ongoing research evidence, the authors discuss how this way of looking at play can be utilised to co-construct a play-based curriculum that enables greater playfulness in children and practitioners.