Play and Behaviour

In this episode, Clare talks to Michael Follett, founder and director of OPAL, about the power of play and its impact on behaviour. They discuss the definition of ‘play’ and the importance of primary, hands-on experiences during childhood.

They explore ways to balance unstructured play with risk management, and how policies and monitoring processes can guide staff to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of play.

Michael is a former playworker, teacher, and school improvement consultant who has worked as a play advisor to two local authorities, the National Trust, the Football Association, and the National Lottery.

From a start-up company in 2011, Michael now leads a team of 45 specialist mentors at Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL), working across the UK, as well as the USA, France, Spain, Poland, Singapore, and Malaysia. His work has positively impacted the ‘play lives’ of 1.6 million children across the UK.

Find out more about OPAL here. You can also follow OPAL on Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Michael shares three tips during the episode:

• Have a plan in place for play, to ensure provision is as good as possible for all children.
• Believe in the competence of children. Play is about agency and enabling them to make their own decisions.
• If possible, go and visit somewhere that has exceptional play provision, as a reminder of the joy that play can bring and to develop new ideas.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

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The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector and geographic region and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.