Purposeful Play
Our Education Philosophy
Not all play is created equal. At Sugar Plums, we believe Purposeful Play, grounded in developmental milestones and a rich creative curriculum is the key to your child's growth.
What Is Purposeful Play?
To the casual observer, when you see children stacking blocks, blowing bubbles, playing tag with their classmates, or fingerpainting, you might just think they are having fun. And they are! But they are also learning, especially when that play is guided.
Purposeful play uses toys, games, art, and fun to teach something specific. As Kristi Mraz, author of the book Purposeful Play says, “We have to change the narrative of play from something ‘fun’ or ‘cute’ or ‘for when work is done’ to one of play (all play) being purposeful and meaningful for the joyful intellectual and social development for children.”
Sometimes, in our standards-driven educational environment, play is eliminated in favor of "academics". But the research shows - and continues to prove -- that children learn and retain far more knowledge in experiential learning through play than from teacher-directed lessons, memorization, assignments, or seated structure.
We invite you to embrace our Purposeful Play philosophy and see what a difference play can make in your child’s learning.