According to its founders, Anji Play is “an educational philosophy and approach created by Cheng Xueqin, in Anji County, China. Grounded in love, risk, joy, engagement, and reflection, Anji Play returns the right of True Play to every child.”
What does Anji Play mean for educators and children?
Anji Play believes that it is an educator’s job to create a safe and responsive environment centered on children’s needs and abilities. In an outdoor space children should have extensive, uninterrupted, and unguided play. During this play educators are to take a step back and observe with their “hands down, mouths closed, ears, eyes, and heart open.” Children are expected to problem solve and work though conflicts amongst themselves. Adults are only there to step in if there is a safety concern.
Anji Play places a strong emphasis on the principles of True Play, the notion that play should be initiated and directed by the children themselves. This approach fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and emotional resilience. Children are given the freedom to explore and experiment, which helps them develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
The main rules of Anji Play are: do not hurt yourself, do not hurt others, do not hurt the environment.
The environment is meant to be simple and not defined by subject or theme, but by activity. Materials include items such as ladders, barrels, blocks, carts, mats, and climbing cubes. In Anji Play, children are to engage with minimally-structured, open-ended materials drawn from life.
How does Anji Play inspire Carmel Mountain Preschool?
At Carmel Mountain Preschool our outdoor environments include loose parts and materials purposefully set out for the children by our trained teachers. With open-ended play in mind, our teachers prepare the play yards for a variety of play experiences.
Children can build, climb, create, and engage with any of the materials as they see fit. Those materials include large wooden blocks, pvc pipes, water, sand, tires and carts for pushing and pulling, among other items. Our teachers are trained to assess risky play versus hazardous play, plus they encourage children to solve peer issues, scaffolding the language and interactions as needed.
By integrating the principles of Anji Play, Carmel Mountain Preschool ensures that children experience the joy and developmental benefits of True Play. This approach helps us nurture their physical, cognitive and social-emotional development, all while preparing them for future learning experiences.
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