This article explores how unstructured playtime in early childhood settings offers rich opportunities for science learning. Despite play being crucial for children’s development, its potential for science education remains largely untapped. We introduce our framework featuring three observational lenses—actions, exploration, and environment—to help educators identify specific scientific practices (such as planning investigations, analyzing data, and constructing explanations) that naturally emerge during child-led play. Through four illustrative scenarios (“Muddy Water,” “Gas and Formula,” “Slug Obstacle Course,” and “Chasing Rainbows”), we demonstrate how children engage with scientific phenomena including properties of matter, living organisms, and light refraction during unstructured play. Children investigate flow dynamics of mud versus water, explore properties of liquids, observe slug behavior, and track rainbow patterns—all through play-based exploration. Rather than structuring play around predetermined concepts, we advocate for recognizing the scientific practices and phenomena already present in children’s self-directed activities. This approach supports children’s backgrounds while providing opportunities for them to explore scientific concepts in ways that are authentic to their play experiences.
Kenyon, L., Larimore, R. A., Chung, M., Kenyon, L., & Makori, H. (2025). Seeing science through play: Three lenses to enhance early learning. Science and Children, 62(6), 38–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/00368148.2025.2553372