Are We Play-Proofing Preschools, Kindergartens, and Schools? - Conceptual PlayWorlds as the Source of Children’s Development of Imagination and Learning

Oct 15, 2026

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Marilyn Fleer examines how early-childhood classrooms can sustain imaginary play while supporting conceptual learning through a cultural-historical program she calls Conceptual PlayWorld. Drawing on Vygotsky’s theory of play and Lindqvist’s methodology on the aesthetics of play, she interprets an educational experiment in which children and teachers enter a storybook world. The findings frame play-based programs as a learning agenda that policy makers can use to protect teachers’ play practices in preschools and kindergartens.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Problem of How to Bring Concepts into Children’s Play

Are We Play-Proofing Preschools, Kindergartens, and Schools? Conceptual PlayWorlds as the Source of Children’s Development of Imagination and Learning • Marilyn Fleer The author draws on Lev S. Vygotsky’s conception of play and Gunilla Lindqvist’s methodology concerning the aesthetics of play to discuss play practice in early childhood classrooms. Based on the study of an educational experiment at a primary school, she discusses how children in a school setting simultaneously engage in developed forms of imagining employing concepts in the shared intellectual space afforded by a Conceptual PlayWorld. She argues that, by showcasing for policy makers the advantages of this cultural-historical program, teachers can support play as a leading source for the development of imagination and learning for young children in preschool, kindergarten, and early classrooms. Key words: Conceptual PlayWorld; cultural-historical theory; imagination; imaginary play; pretend play; Vygotsky Introduction I aim to examine the problem of imaginary play and the learning ofconcepts (e.g., measurement) in the context of a schoolroom agenda. I hope to understand better children’s imagining within their play from an intervention study in which teachers introduced a cultural-historical program called a Conceptual PlayWorld (Fleer 2021) to frame conceptual learning meaningfully. In a Conceptual PlayWorld, children and teachers enter the imaginary world of a storybook and become characters from the story. They meet other characters, experience the drama of play problems that arise in the imaginary situation, and become motivated to solve the problem using concepts they have researched to keep the play going. I direct my second goal at policy makers, because the results show that play-based programs can drive a learning agenda in ways that maintain and develop imaginary play. I argue that the development of imagination through 302 American Journal of Play, volume 15, number 3 © 2023 by The Strong [Contact Marilyn Fleer at marilyn.fleer@monash.edu](Contact Marilyn Fleer at marilyn.fleer@monash.edu) children’s play meaningfully supports children’s learning. This sits in contrast to separating play from learning, in which there lies a high risk that policy makers may further formalize kindergartens and keep teachers from using play as a source of children’s development. I offer my research as evidence to these policymakers and as a resource to help teachers maintain their play-based programs. I begin by presenting the problem of the relationship between play and learning, and I follow with a discussion of children’s development from a cultural-historical perspective. I do so because this cultural-historical theory of play is based on a dialectical logic that offers a rich system of concepts for research. In this context, I discuss how we can theorize imagination, play, and conceptual learning. I then offer the details of an educational experiment in which researchers and teachers worked theoretically on the synthesis of play and learning in the new practices of a Conceptual PlayWorld (Fleer 2021) . I discuss the results and their interpretation in the context of a school-based learning agenda and speak directly to policy makers. I hold that the findings, when theorized from a cultural-historical perspective, could also act as a resource for teachers and researchers interested in supporting the development of imagination in play and in building foundational conceptual learning. And I conclude by arguing that, rather than framing play and learning as separate actions as we increasingly see in current policy, conceptualizing it instead as a synthesis in the practices of teachers underscores the importance of developing imagination through collective play. Based on these findings and theory, I suggest that, through the development of children’s imagination, we can promote both the learning of concepts, such as those found in mathematics, and the de

FAQs

What does the author use to frame play-based learning in classrooms?

The author draws on Lev S. Vygotsky’s conception of play and Gunilla Lindqvist’s methodology on the aesthetics of play to discuss how play practice supports development in early childhood classrooms.

How does a Conceptual PlayWorld work in the educational experiment?

In a Conceptual PlayWorld, children and teachers enter an imaginary storybook world, become characters, encounter play problems, and use researched concepts to keep the play going.

Why does the author address policy makers directly?

The results are presented as evidence that play-based programs can drive a learning agenda while maintaining and developing children’s imaginary play, helping prevent further formalization that could restrict teachers from using play.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Mabel