Discover how play-based learning compares to free play, direct instruction, and project-based learning, and why it stands out for building lasting academic achievement and student engagement.
Intentional, child-driven, teacher-scaffolded approach that focuses on making learning joyful, engaged, meaningful, active and iterative
What You’ll See: Students exploring 3-D shapes by reading a book about an architect, taking a neighborhood walk, using blocks and other materials to replicate the buildings they saw and writing a poem about their community. (language arts, math, engineering, social studies)
Best For: Elementary schools and classrooms wanting to maximize student engagement and achievement through hands-on learning experiences that continue to meet curriculum requirements and standards.
Child-directed activities without academic objectives
What You’ll See: Children playing at a sensory table with no intended academic goals from their teacher.
Best For: Important for social-emotional development, but insufficient for systematic learning.
Teacher-centered information delivery
What You’ll See: Teacher lecturing in front of the classroom with students sitting at their desks, practicing rote problems or doing worksheets individually.
Best For: Introducing specific skills or giving brief background information for older students who are developmentally ready to learn from simply listening.
Projects are organized around a central challenge or specific content, typically with the focus being on the end product or presentation as opposed to the process. Unlike play-based learning, project-based learning is typically not a full approach to teaching curriculum and often implemented as a classroom assignment.
What You’ll See: Students researching local water quality over six weeks, interviewing experts, creating posters to show what they learned, with the goal of creating presentations for the city council.
Best For: Exploring a few thematic aspects of a unit of study with an end goal of a finished project. Strong for developing collaboration, presentation, and research skills. Not designed to carry the full curriculum or provide ongoing daily learning experiences.
Different approaches produce different results. Research shows that play-based learning not only supports academic growth but also sustains student engagement more effectively than other models.