| Abstract: | This article challenges the 'ghettoisation' of play in Early Years contexts and argues for a reassertion of its underlying importance for learning throughout the primary school and beyond. It argues for a rethinking of play in terms of 'flow' and the implications for teachers' understanding of their role when they intervene and participate 'inside the flow' of children's play. It illustrates and addresses these issues, which are crucial if 'lifelong learning' is to be anything other than a rhetorical gesture, through the experiences of teachers, trainees and children and challenges the 'mindblindness' of many current attitudes towards teaching and learning. |
