by on 17/07/2025 101
It may surprise some to learn that the most powerful classroom for a child isn’t defined by walls or schedules, but by freedom, imagination, and the unstructured choices of play.
Across disciplines—from neuroscience to education, psychology to paediatrics—experts agree: unstructured, child-led play is essential for healthy development.
Unstructured play is play without preset goals, scripts, or adult direction. It is child-initiated, open-ended, and rooted in freedom of choice. Think cardboard boxes instead of puzzles. Ropes and planks instead of slides and ball pits. A field and a pile of sticks instead of a themed playground with rules.
It might look chaotic at first glance. But step back, and you’ll see something remarkable: authentic learning happening in real time.
In essence, unstructured play allows children to develop the most important 21st-century skills: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and confidence.
“Play is the work of childhood,” said Maria Montessori — and decades of research back that up. Neuroscientists, educators, and psychologists now agree: unstructured play is not optional, it’s foundational.
Unfortunately, many children today are growing up with limited opportunities for unstructured play. Packed schedules, excessive screen time, and pressure to perform academically are crowding out time for self-directed exploration.
The result?
It’s no wonder educators around the world are sounding the alarm. Children need freedom to fail safely, to get messy, to experiment — to simply be children.
These education models emphasise child-led exploration and environments that foster independent discovery and it contains principles that aligned with free play.
In China’s Zhejiang province, Anji Play empowers children with two hours of daily “True Play”, emphasising Love, Risk, Joy, Engagement, and Reflection. Teachers observe and facilitate reflection—never direct—allowing children to build, fail, and learn autonomously.
Not quite.
Even the best schools, especially in urban environments, often provide structured play which is teacher-led, goal-oriented, and brief. While still beneficial, it doesn’t offer the same depth as free play. Structured learning teaches content. Unstructured play teaches character.
The good news? Play-based learning is gaining traction. Many progressive schools are incorporating elements of it into their curriculum. But few do it in its purest form.
Which brings us to something truly exciting...
Right here in Kuala Lumpur, on the 12th floor of SEGi College Subang Jaya, stands We.Play, Malaysia’s first purpose-built unstructured playground. Inspired directly by Anji Play, it offers children a chance to learn by doing, exploring, and reflecting.
Jery Yeoh, cofounder, says:
“Children are born curious. They’re born imaginative. They don’t need our help to learn—we just need to stop getting in the way.”
No slides, no screens, no plastic toys. Instead, you’ll see wooden planks, ropes, barrels, tyres, fabrics and recycled material. Children build castles, bridges, hideouts. They negotiate, fail, rebuild, and reflect—all within a 2.5hour session where facilitators quietly observe.
Sessions at We.Play foster:
We.Play doubles as a training lab for SEGi’s Early Childhood Education students, who learn to observe, not instruct. They document play, facilitate reflection, and carry the philosophy into future classrooms, planting seeds for national change.
Jery notes:
“We’re not just building a centre. We’re building a movement. When the students graduate, this philosophy goes with them.”
We.Play isn’t a commercial venture. It’s mission-driven:
If you value:
Then unstructured play is essential.
Unstructured play isn't a quaint idea. It's a scientifically proven foundation for healthy, well-rounded development. From cognitive gains to social resilience, from motor skills to creative leaps—play empowers children to grow whole.
We.Play brings that power to life in Malaysia—boldly, quietly, and beautifully. It champions the kind of education that begins not with a curriculum, but with a plank, a rope, and a child’s imagination. Because sometimes, the most profound learning happens not when we teach, but when we let children lead.
Visit We.Play in Subang Jaya:
12th Floor, SEGi College Subang Jaya
Sessions by appointment—2 to 2.5 hours
Book via Instagram or Facebook
+6012-7827709
Whether you're a parent, educator, or curious explorer, We.Play offers a rare chance to witness play-based learning in its purest form.