The Role of Intentional Teaching and Spontaneous Play: Striking the Right Balance in Early Years 

In early childhood education, children flourish when both intentional teaching (structured, purposeful learning) and spontaneous play (childinitiated, openended activity) are in harmony. Organisations such as Little Voyagers emphasise this ‘healthy balance’ in their curriculum — recognising that children learn deeply when educators plan with intention, yet also honour moments when children lead. 

What Is Intentional Teaching? 

Intentional teaching is when educators deliberately design experiences, ask openended questions, scaffold learning and interact in ways that extend children’s thinking. For example: 

• Planning a smallgroup activity around numeral concepts or a story. 
• Using questions like, “What happens if we pour more sand here?” to deepen problemsolving. 
• Guiding children to notice patterns, make predictions or reflect on their play. 

This approach supports the five learning outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) — identity, connection, wellbeing, confident learners, effective communicators. 

What Is Spontaneous Play? 

Spontaneous (or childinitiated) play is the energyrich space where children explore, imagine, experiment and socialise on their own terms. It is characterised by: 

• No fixed end goal or adultled agenda. 
• Opportunity to choose materials, roles, pace and direction. 
• Natural repetition, negotiation, creativity and sensemaking. 

For example, a child might decide to build a “castle” out of blocks, reuse cloths as “flags”, then invite others to negotiate spaces and roles. Such play promotes social skills, resilience and selfregulation. 

Why Both Matter — and How They Complement Each Other 

• Intentional teaching ensures that key concepts (e.g., early literacy, numeracy, STEM thinking) are introduced and scaffolded — children are not simply left to discover everything by chance. For example, Little Voyagers’ “Confident Voyagers” program mentions “a healthy balance between spontaneous and structured play” to develop thinking, communication and problemsolving skills. 
• Spontaneous play allows children to take ownership of their learning, apply ideas in meaningful ways, deepen understanding and build agency. 
• When educators weave intentionality into play (for example, by observing a child’s interest and posing a new question or material), both approaches merge. This is supported by research on intentional teaching and playbased learning.  

Practical Tips for Parents & Educators 

• Create blocks of uninterrupted play time so children can explore and revisit ideas without constant interruption. 
• Use planned experiences (e.g., story time, smallgroup inquiry, intentional learning provocations) but then allow children to take that idea into spontaneous direction. 
• Educators and parents observe children’s interests, then introduce a prompt, tool or question that extends that interest — guiding intentionally, but not controlling. 
• Ensure the environment offers openended materials (loose parts, natural elements, imaginative resources) that children can use freely. 
• Reflect and adapt: Use observations of children’s play to plan future intentional experiences that align with their current thinking and interests. 

The Bottom Line 

Striking the right balance between intentional teaching and spontaneous play creates a rich early learning environment. In centres like Little Voyagers, this balance is central — helping children build skills, confidence and love of learning while honouring their curiosity, choice and creativity. Whether you’re a parent or educator, this blended approach ensures that children don’t just do learning — they own it.