By Michael Hilkemeijer
When Sarah first began implementing play-based learning in early childhood education, she was filled with enthusiasm. She believed deeply in the value of play as a pathway to developing essential skills in language, creativity, and problem-solving. But once she stepped into her new childcare centre role, she encountered more resistance than she expected—both from within herself and from others around her.
Colleagues questioned the academic “rigour” of her approach. Some parents were sceptical, pushing for more structured learning. Meanwhile, Sarah herself struggled to connect digital technologies with play-based pedagogies in a way that felt meaningful and developmentally appropriate. She began to doubt herself, overwhelmed by the invisible barriers to early childhood education that no one seemed to talk about.
Despite the clear benefits, she couldn’t ignore the challenges of play-based learning in her setting. Time constraints, curriculum expectations, and a lack of clear guidance on implementing play-based learning created roadblocks. She began researching how to overcome barriers to learning, and that’s when she came across a professional development opportunity that would change everything: the ICT in Education Teacher Academy.
What’s Really Holding You Back from Embracing Play-Based Learning?
Inside the membership, Sarah accessed a structured workbook that allowed her to track her goals, reflect on her challenges, and build confidence through small wins. She finally had a space to think critically about her environment and identify what was standing in her way—real barriers to learning in early childhood such as rigid routines, insufficient ICT resources, and unclear planning frameworks.
Through the community discussions and wisdom tool, she began uncovering key insights about the barriers to play-based learning, including the often overlooked barriers to inclusion in early childhood. These weren’t just external limitations—they included personal beliefs, misconceptions, and inconsistent professional support. The workbook helped her categorise and reflect on these challenges clearly, supporting her to develop a practical action plan for transforming her play-based learning environment.
What Are the Common Barriers—and How Can You Overcome Them?
To help other educators reflect on their own settings, here’s a clear breakdown of the most common barriers to play-based learning in early childhood and the solutions Sarah found through the Academy’s structured professional development:
| Barriers to Play-Based Learning in ECE | Solutions Through the ICT in Education Teacher Academy |
| Lack of confidence in explaining play-based learning to others | Access to language and evidence in the workbook to clearly justify play-based pedagogies |
| Pressure from parents or leaders to use formal instruction | Practical reflection templates to align ICT and play with curriculum standards |
| Unclear how to integrate digital technology into play | Lesson plans and play-based pedagogy examples using ICT in meaningful, age-appropriate ways |
| Time constraints and competing curriculum demands | Planning templates that streamline curriculum mapping and save time |
| Concerns around inclusion and equity | Community support and strategies for addressing barriers to inclusion in early childhood |
| Internal doubts or lack of professional clarity | Self-reflection tools to unpack beliefs, challenges, and next steps confidently |
| Fragmented or reactive planning processes | Structured workbook framework for implementing and evaluating play-based learning consistently |
How Did Sarah Apply These Solutions in Her Own Practice?
Each barrier Sarah faced became an opportunity for transformation once she had the right tools and support from the ICT in Education Teacher Academy. Here’s how she turned theory into practice:
When Sarah lacked confidence in explaining play-based learning to her leadership team, she turned to the workbook’s planning templates. These gave her the language she needed to clearly map out her intentions, link them to EYLF outcomes, and confidently present her plans.
When facing pressure from parents who wanted more traditional learning, she used reflection tools to document how digital play experiences were addressing learning goals. She even created portfolios with visual evidence of children coding with Bee Bots and creating digital stories, which shifted parent perceptions.
Before joining, she was unsure how to meaningfully integrate technology into play. The membership’s digital lesson plans gave her age-appropriate examples—like using tablets to take nature photos or programmable toys to explore sequencing—that aligned perfectly with her play-based pedagogies.
Time was always a challenge. But with access to editable templates and a consistent planning framework, Sarah was able to streamline her curriculum mapping and focus more time on observing and engaging with the children.
When reflecting on inclusion, Sarah realised that some of her quieter learners weren’t fully engaging. She returned to the member community and asked for advice. Fellow educators shared strategies like using visual coding cards and voice-recording tools, which made her digital activities more accessible.
Her internal doubts faded as she engaged in workshops like “How to Support Play-Based Learning in ECE with Digital Technologies.” The session helped her understand the research behind her pedagogy, which she could revisit anytime and log in her workbook as part of her 10+ hours of PD.
What once felt like a fragmented, reactive cycle of planning became a structured and reflective process. The workbook became her professional learning journal, guiding her through planning, observation, and growth.
Summary of Sarah’s Journey at a Glance
| Barrier Faced | Action Sarah Took | Outcome Achieved |
| Difficulty explaining play-based learning to others | Used planning templates to map goals and EYLF outcomes | Gained confidence to present her pedagogy to leadership |
| Pressure from parents for more formal instruction | Created digital portfolios to showcase learning through play | Changed parent perceptions and built trust |
| Unsure how to integrate digital tools in play | Applied lesson plans using tablets, photos, and Bee Bots | Strengthened digital literacy and child engagement |
| Time constraints | Used editable templates and streamlined planning tools | Spent more time with children, less on admin |
| Barriers to inclusion | Sought advice from the member community | Introduced accessible tools for diverse learners |
| Internal doubts | Watched expert workshops and logged PD in her workbook | Gained clarity, motivation, and professional growth |
| Fragmented planning | Followed the workbook’s reflective planning structure | Built a consistent, goal-oriented teaching practice |
How Can ICT Support Play-Based Learning in a Meaningful Way?
With time, Sarah began confidently embedding ICT into her classroom through play-based pedagogy examples she discovered in the lesson plan library. Her preschoolers used tablets to capture photos of their nature walks, created collaborative stories through digital drawing apps, and coded simple instructions using programmable toys. This wasn’t just childcare play-based learning—it was intentional, reflective teaching aligned with her pedagogical values.
She used the workbook to connect these practices to early learning outcomes, documenting how ICT enhanced not just learning, but inclusion and engagement. With every reflection and each small implementation, Sarah was overcoming barriers to learning in the classroom in a sustainable, meaningful way.
Where Did She Find the Confidence to Keep Going?
One of the turning points in Sarah’s journey came from immersing herself in the wealth of knowledge and support offered through the membership. In addition to participating in vibrant community discussions and receiving peer feedback, she accessed her favourite expert presentations on digital play-based learning—and watched them on repeat whenever she needed inspiration or clarity.
Even more powerful were the ECE workshops built on key educational theories, like “How to Support Play-Based Learning in ECE with Digital Technologies.” This particular workshop helped Sarah unpack research-based strategies and apply them immediately to her environment. The best part? She could log over 10 hours of PD in her workbook—all accessible on demand and at no extra cost as part of her membership.
These experiences didn’t just help her plan better. They changed how she viewed herself as a professional. With every video watched and workshop completed, Sarah gained deeper understanding, renewed motivation, and a supportive roadmap forward.
Wondering About the Disadvantages of Play-Based Learning?
It’s not uncommon for early childhood educators to search for the disadvantages of play-based learning, especially when navigating criticism or trying to justify their approach. While play-based pedagogies offer rich, developmentally appropriate experiences, they’re often misunderstood or seen as lacking structure.
To help you address these challenges with clarity and confidence, we’ve created a free downloadable resource that outlines the most common disadvantages of play-based learning—and more importantly, how you can overcome them with the right planning, support, and professional learning.
📥 Download your copy of "Overcoming the Disadvantages of Play-Based Learning" now — and discover how the ICT in Education Teacher Academy helps educators just like you turn challenges into strengths with structured support, expert workshops, and done-for-you digital planning tools.
👉 Disadvantages of play-based learning PDF download!
What’s the First Step to Overcoming Barriers to Play-Based Learning?
Whether you're facing barriers to inclusion, uncertainty about how to overcome barriers to learning, or simply navigating the challenges of play based learning in your context, know this: you're not alone, and there is a structured, supportive path forward.
The ICT in Education Teacher Academy is more than just professional development—it’s your partner in practice. Inside the membership, you won’t just access training; you’ll build confidence through action. The workbook serves as your planning and reflection companion. The workshops ground your approach in proven educational theory. The expert presentations inspire you, and the community encourages you at every step.
You’re supported not only with ideas but with implementation strategies, editable templates, and differentiated lesson plans. Everything is tailored to help you make play-based learning in early childhood both powerful and practical.
This is how Sarah transformed her teaching—and it’s how you can too.
Are you ready to break through your own barriers to play-based learning—and become the confident, intentional educator your classroom needs?