6.2 Reflect on how playwork can support children to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem

This guide will help you answer 6.2 Reflect on how playwork can support children to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.

This guide focuses on how playwork contributes to a child’s personal growth. Working in playwork gives you the chance to create spaces and situations where children can gain skills for life. Resilience, confidence and self-esteem are closely linked, but each has its own meaning and impact.

Resilience means being able to cope with setbacks, changes and challenges. Confidence is the belief in one’s own abilities and judgements. Self-esteem is how a person values themselves. All three can be influenced by the quality of play experiences offered.

As a playworker, you can make choices and take actions that directly support these qualities. Reflection helps you to recognise what works well and where improvements can be made.

Understanding the Importance of Play in Developing These Skills

Children learn and grow through play. When they play freely, they get the chance to problem-solve, take risks and work things out for themselves. This helps them develop coping strategies. They begin to see that mistakes or failures are part of learning.

Play gives children a sense of control and choice. This improves confidence because they can decide what to do, how to do it and when to stop. In turn, successful play experiences strengthen a child’s belief in themselves.

Self-esteem grows when children feel valued and respected. When their ideas and contributions in play are heard and encouraged, they develop a positive view of themselves and their abilities.

Building Resilience Through Playwork

Resilience can be encouraged in many ways during play. Some examples include:

• Offering activities that have different levels of challenge so children can try something harder at their own pace
• Encouraging problem-solving rather than giving solutions straight away
• Allowing children to experience manageable risk such as climbing or exploring natural spaces
• Supporting them to try again after failure
• Talking positively about mistakes as a normal part of learning

Playworkers play a crucial role here. You can model resilience by staying calm in setbacks and showing positive coping strategies. When children see adults handling challenges well, they are more likely to copy these behaviours.

Play spaces should be designed to let children take initiative and test their limits without fear of punishment for simple mistakes. This builds their ability to adapt.

Supporting Confidence

Confidence comes from repeated success in tasks and feeling safe to try. In playwork this can be supported by:

• Giving children control over their play choices
• Encouraging new ideas and imagination
• Praising effort rather than outcome
• Creating mixed-age play opportunities where children learn from and support each other
• Using positive language and noticing achievements

When children lead their own play, they see that their ideas matter. This confidence often carries into other areas of life such as school work or social situations.

Confidence in play is not just about winning or completing tasks. It is about trying, expressing personal choices, and feeling that your decisions have value. Playworkers can reinforce this by listening carefully and showing respect for children’s play themes and preferences.

Strengthening Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is built when children feel accepted and valued for who they are. In playwork, this means:

• Respecting each child’s individuality
• Celebrating differences and personal strengths
• Giving genuine praise for contributions during play
• Avoiding comparisons between children
• Creating inclusive play environments that welcome everyone

In playwork settings, self-esteem can be supported by giving children the chance to share their cultural traditions, use their home languages or showcase skills they have outside the setting. This recognises their identity and makes them feel important.

Children with strong self-esteem are more likely to engage positively in group play. They also find it easier to handle small conflicts as they know their worth is not dependent on others’ approval.

The Role of Risk in Playwork

Risk takes many forms in play, from physical risks like climbing to social risks such as making a new friend. Managed risk in play helps children test and expand their abilities.

Examples include:

• Allowing children to use real tools under supervision
• Letting them navigate uneven ground or challenging equipment
• Supporting them in trying new games with unfamiliar peers

These experiences build resilience because children learn to assess situations themselves. They also build confidence by proving they can handle tasks which once felt too difficult. Self-esteem grows as they feel proud of their achievement.

Playing in environments that include natural features such as trees, water and mud often provides varied risk opportunities, which are valuable learning experiences.

How Reflection Improves Practice

Reflecting on your playwork practice means thinking about what happened, why it happened, and what could be different next time. This is a cycle of learning for both you and the children.

Ask yourself:

• Did the play opportunities today challenge children appropriately?
• Did any child walk away feeling unsuccessful?
• How did I respond to setbacks and how did children react?
• Were there enough choices for children to feel a sense of control?
• Did my actions make all children feel valued and included?

Reflection could be done at the end of the day, during breaks, or at scheduled team meetings. Keep notes so you can track patterns and changes over time.

Feedback from children can be part of reflection. Talking to them about what they enjoyed or found hard can give valuable insight.

Linking All Three Qualities in Playwork

Resilience, confidence and self-esteem work together. A child with strong self-esteem will usually have the confidence to try new activities. In turn, trying new activities supports resilience when challenges arise.

In playwork you can create opportunities where all three are built:

• Group projects where children must work together towards a shared aim
• Open-ended play materials which can be used in many ways
• Role play situations where children take on leadership roles
• Situations where children manage challenges themselves with minimal adult intervention

You may notice that when one of these areas improves, others improve too. This is a good sign that your playwork environment supports holistic growth.

Inclusive Practice

To support all children equally, inclusion in playwork is more than just allowing access. It’s about adapting activities, spaces and attitudes to meet individual needs.

Examples include:

• Providing sensory play materials for children who need them
• Adjusting equipment to allow children with physical disabilities to join in
• Encouraging peer support and buddy systems
• Training staff on cultural awareness

When children feel included and respected, they gain self-esteem. They feel confident sharing their ideas, and they build resilience by handling everyday challenges in a supportive space.

The Importance of Relationships in Playwork

Children learn a lot from relationships with trusted adults and peers. Playworkers can build positive relationships by:

• Listening actively without judgement
• Knowing children’s names and interests
• Being consistent in actions and responses
• Showing warmth and encouragement

When a child knows an adult respects them, they feel secure. Security supports self-esteem and gives the confidence to try harder tasks. Relationships act as a safety net, giving children the courage to face challenges and build resilience.

Managing Conflict Through Play

Conflict is a natural part of play, especially group play. How it is handled can support or harm a child’s growth.

Supporting resilience and confidence through conflict management can include:

• Helping children express feelings calmly
• Guiding them to solve problems together
• Encouraging them to listen to different viewpoints
• Teaching phrases that show respect and understanding

This approach helps children see that conflicts can be resolved without damaging relationships. It also creates confidence in their social skills and reinforces positive self-esteem.

Observing and Recording Progress

Observation is a useful tool in spotting signs of resilience, confidence and self-esteem. Keep records of key moments such as:

• A child being persistent in a challenging activity
• A shy child greeting someone without prompting
• A child proudly showing their completed project

These records help you understand how your playwork setting affects children’s experiences. They also support professional reflection and can be shared with colleagues to improve practice.

Environment and Resources

The environment can have a big impact on resilience, confidence and self-esteem. A good playwork environment should:

• Offer a mix of quiet and active spaces
• Provide resources for creative, physical and social play
• Allow children to adapt spaces for their own use
• Include areas for rest after intense activity

Resources should be varied, allowing children from different backgrounds and abilities to find something that appeals to them. Feeling that there is something for them increases engagement and willingness to take part, which supports all three qualities.

Final Thoughts

Playwork offers a powerful way to help children build resilience, confidence and self-esteem. The freedom of play, the variety of environments and the quality of relationships create conditions where these traits can grow naturally. By reflecting on your role and actions you can adjust your practice to meet individual needs.

Remember that growth in these areas is often gradual. Small moments like a child trying again after failure, speaking up in a group, or showing pride in their work are signs of progress. These moments matter. Your continued observation and thoughtful support help children carry these strengths forward into many areas of life.