Considered such a core activity that it is assessed by teachers, play in Finland is also about learning risk and responsibility â competences Finnish society promotes to the extent that it is common for even seven-year-olds to walk to school on their own.
In short, writes Sahlberg, âFinlandâs insight can boost grades and learning for all students, as well as their social growth, emotional development, health, wellbeing and happiness. It can be boiled down to a single phrase: let children play.â
The need is particularly urgent in schools reopening after pandemic lockdowns, he argued, since play will mitigate stress, promote resilience and allow children to rebuild relationships through physical activity: âThey need that much more than they need academic pressure, graded assignments and excessive screen time.â