The Power of Play This Spring Break

As students prepare for Spring Break, Amarillo’s Opportunity School encourages families to incorporate fun play days into their school-free schedule, where their kids decide what to do.

“At Opportunity School, we take a powerful approach with play-based learning, which incorporates play as a central component of the learning process,” explains Opportunity School Executive Director Jill Goodrich. “By encouraging kids to play at school and at home, we are embracing their innate curiosity and creativity to further foster their development.”

Play-based learning allows children to make their own decisions and choices about how and what they play. It keeps children moving and having fun, while helping them engage with hands-on experiences such as building with blocks or playing in a play area. 

“Not only does playing teach children to explore different interests, but it’s the way children learn information,” says Opportunity School Program Quality Specialist Lesley Webb. “Through purposeful play, kids engage in problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making, all while having fun and building a strong foundation for future academic success.”

During play-based learning, children acquire essential academic skills, while developing crucial social, emotional, and cognitive abilities.

“When kids play, their brains are wiring for developmental skills, cognitive skills like math and problem-solving, language and literacy skills such as learning to talk, listen and read, and social/emotional skills like learning to get along with friends and managing their feelings,” says Goodrich.

At Opportunity School, play-based learning is child-initiated and teacher-supported, an approach parents are encouraged to adopt on weekends and days off from school. By allowing kids to lead play activities, families can help them build individual interests and knowledge, ultimately helping them move to the next level of their learning.

“Children are not wired to sit still and learn—they need to play and move,“ says Webb. “Kids naturally love to learn and play, and when they are put in programs or situations that are not play-based, they often struggle to enjoy learning, which is important for creating lifelong learners.”