Can I Go and Play Now?: Rethinking the Early Years

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Thank you Greg Bottrill for helping us unlock imagination and creativity in our little ones, as well as encouraging us to capture these joyful moments! Of course the government change is also in our hands so let's stand together and voice the change we want to see. Greg Bottrill's revolution to put play at the heart of Early Years is voiced with such eloquence and good humour in his book.

A former Early Years Lead and Assistant Headteacher, Greg is passionate about education being an adventure not a pre-drawn route for children. Ultimately, I am trying to show the Adult World that the magic of children is a place to come and adventure in. It's all in the little details, the language we use, our interactions with children and the joy we ignite when asking simple questions. Join him as he explores Adventure Island, a magical world of story and make-believe with his two little dogs, Bonnie and Eppie, as well as a host of other characters including Zoomer the Number Dog, Bob The Brick, the Magic Mustard Tin, and Tiny Ted, with many new and wonderful friends to meet along the way.

Children only have a childhood once and I believe that not only is it the chrysalis of identity itself, it holds all the things that can truly connect children to their educational experiences. How long was it in the Education Sector before you realised the need for an initiative like ‘CAN I GO AND PLAY NOW’? There is a narrative that children’s progress has to be endlessly tracked and monitored and this has led to a huge swathe of spreadsheet-ism and the marketisation of education which in turn has shaped children’s early learning experiences into a ‘rush and push’ for early academics and ‘success’. Neoliberalism’s control on education is based on the myth that there is no alternative to it’s system.

Greg is an experienced Early Years specialist who is passionate about the role of play in our education systems. I think in time, I have discovered one thing, but I won’t reveal it because it’s something that if you are willing to adventure into play, I’d love you to find it for yourself.LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. I taught from the soul and now talk about the idea of ‘teaching to the edge of tears’ – teaching and co-playing because you have to, because it means something, not in the future but right at that very moment.

I had the privilege of attending this year's BSME - British Schools in the Middle East Conference at Hartland International School, where I had the pleasure of meeting Greg Bottrill again, an extraordinary educator whose dedication to education and passion for play has deeply influenced my practice for several years. I advise all to read, EYFS practitioners, KS1 teachers, KS2 teachers, Child minders, Ofsted inspectors and any member of an SLT.The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.