At Blooming Buds, kids play to learn

Sessions at Blooming Buds preschool and child-care centre in Sai Ying Pun seem designed to blur any artificial boundaries between the playroom and the classroom.

"We love to get messy," says Rafaella Tung, director of learning at Blooming Buds. "And we always have some form of sensory play going on in the classroom - whether it is walking around the classroom after dipping our feet in paint, hollowing out pumpkins for Halloween, or building snowmen with pretend snow." 

Tung believes that a misunderstanding over terms may lead some parents to think that such creative activities and play are displacing "proper" learning.

"Parents and educators share the same goal - they want what is best for children," she says. "I think the problem lies in the fact that educators and parents do not share the same definition when it comes to the word 'play'. 

"Play can be thought of as hidden academics. The beauty of these lessons lies in the fact that they are, in themselves, motivating. Through hands-on experiences, children are building a wealth of contextual knowledge - they are laying the foundation for more advanced skill sets, gaining an understanding of how solid facts are reached and learning how to get there. 

"For example, when children play with water or experiment with objects that float or sink, they are learning about the scientific art of predication and observation."