The neuroscience of play: a scoping study

Neuroscience research has been present for many years now, however the emerging branch of Neuroeducation – brain science focused on child development and learning – has created a need to explore in further depth the workings of a child’s brain.

Many claims have been made about the benefits of play for young children’s learning and development largely based on observational or self-reporting research. However, there is an opportunity for the neurosciences to offer additional insights and confirmatory evidence about the impact play has on learning. This will enable adults to understand more effectively how they might create an optimal environment for young children’s brains and their role within this.

This project undertook an extensive search of the current literature around neuroscience and play in order to ascertain what already exists and what next steps might be needed in terms of future research.