2.2 Explain why it is important for children to be able to ask questions, offer ideas and make suggestions about the playwork setting

This guide will help you answer 2.2 Explain why it is important for children to be able to ask questions, offer ideas and make suggestions about the playwork setting.

Children in playwork settings thrive when they feel included. A big part of feeling included is having the chance to ask questions, share ideas and make suggestions. This helps them feel heard and respected and shapes their experience. It gives them a sense of ownership over their play space.

When children have a voice, they gain more confidence. They learn that their thoughts matter. This is not just about play activities but about building skills they will need in later life. These skills include communication, problem solving and decision making.

Supporting Curiosity Through Questions

Asking questions is how children find out about the world. In a playwork setting, questions can range from simple ones about rules to complex ones about how things work. Encouraging questions means promoting curiosity. Curiosity is the natural drive to learn and explore.

Allowing and welcoming questions offers benefits such as:

• Helping staff understand what children are thinking
• Giving children the chance to learn from others
• Creating a more open and friendly atmosphere
• Identifying gaps in knowledge and addressing them

When a child asks a question, it can spark new play ideas. It can lead to problem solving or even creative projects. Some questions may challenge the setting and lead to positive change.

Encouraging Children to Share Ideas

Ideas come from observing, thinking and imagining. Playwork settings provide opportunities for children to put forward ideas about games, activities, and how spaces can be used.

When children share ideas, they:

• Feel empowered to influence their environment
• Learn how to express themselves clearly
• Practice negotiation and compromise when planning group activities
• Contribute to a more diverse and inclusive range of play experiences

This can mean suggesting a new game, changing the layout of an area, or creating new rules for fair play. Adults in the setting need to listen to these ideas and respond positively, even if the idea needs adapting to fit safety guidelines.

Listening to Suggestions About the Setting

Suggestions go beyond activities. Children may notice things that could make the space better or safer. They might suggest ways to rearrange equipment, bring in new materials, or improve accessibility for everyone.

Accepting suggestions shows respect for children’s perspectives. It lets them know they can help shape the setting. This is empowering and builds responsibility.

Suggestions can lead to:

• Improvements in safety
• Better use of space
• Greater variety of play options
• More comfortable and welcoming areas

Staff need to create an environment where children feel safe to make suggestions without fear of being ignored.

Building Confidence and Self-Esteem

Children who can ask questions, share ideas and suggest changes develop stronger self-esteem. They learn that their opinions matter and that they can influence the world around them.

Confidence grows when they see their input making a difference. This could be something small, like using an idea for a game, or something bigger, like adding new resources they suggested.

This confidence can carry into school, friendships and family life. It helps children become more willing to try new things and speak up in different situations.

Strengthening Communication Skills

Communication is a key life skill. Asking questions and making suggestions are practical ways to develop this skill in playwork settings.

Children practise:

• Using language clearly to express themselves
• Listening to others and responding
• Negotiating differences
• Adapting ideas to suit group needs

Playwork settings are social spaces where communication happens naturally. Encouraging children to share and question builds these skills without it feeling forced.

Promoting Inclusion and Equality

Listening to all voices means that everyone has a chance to be involved. If only a few children speak up, the activities and changes will reflect their preferences. Allowing and encouraging all children to contribute helps create a fair and inclusive space.

This is especially important for children who might be quieter or less confident. Staff can give these children extra encouragement and support so they have the same opportunities to contribute as more outspoken children.

Inclusion means recognising different needs, cultures, and abilities. Taking ideas and suggestions from children ensures the setting meets a wider range of interests and backgrounds.

Supporting Problem Solving

Questions often come from a desire to solve a problem. A child might ask how to fix a broken toy, or how to make a game fairer. Staff can turn these questions into problem-solving activities, letting children work together to find solutions.

Suggestions can be part of problem solving too. A child might suggest a different way to set up equipment to make it safer or more fun. This approach teaches children to think critically and work cooperatively.

Problem solving is a skill that benefits children in all areas of life. By practising it in play settings, they build confidence and resilience.

Creating a Child-Centred Environment

A child-centred environment is one where children influence the way it operates. Asking questions, sharing ideas and making suggestions are key ways of achieving this.

It shows that the setting values children’s input as much as adult decisions. It creates a sense of partnership between children and staff. When children see that their ideas can lead to actual changes, they feel valued and included.

This type of environment can lead to:

• Stronger relationships between staff and children
• A more responsive and adaptable setting
• Increased engagement from children
• More creative and varied play

Encouraging Responsibility

Making suggestions and offering ideas helps children learn responsibility. When they influence activities, they also learn that they play a part in their success. For example, if they suggest a new game, they may help explain it to others or organise the materials needed.

Responsibility teaches accountability. Children begin to understand that their actions and contributions affect other people’s experiences.

Staff can support this by giving children follow-up roles when they make suggestions. This reinforces the link between an idea and its outcome.

Listening as a Key Part of Playwork

Playwork is about supporting play in a way that respects children’s choices. Listening to their questions and ideas is central to this. It means recognising that children are capable of contributing to their environment and that their perspectives can lead to positive changes.

This requires staff to:

• Be approachable
• Respond to questions without judgement
• Give feedback on suggestions
• Take action where possible

Listening well can build trust between staff and children, making it easier for them to share more in future.

Benefits for the Playwork Setting

Encouraging children to engage in this way benefits the setting too. Staff gain insight into what children enjoy most, what changes they would welcome, and what issues they notice.

Benefits for the playwork setting include:

• Better alignment of activities with children’s interests
• Early identification of problems
• Greater sense of community within the setting
• Stronger engagement from children, leading to fewer behavioural issues

This process also helps staff meet the aims of playwork standards by creating environments where children can choose, create, and influence their play.

Practical Strategies to Encourage Engagement

Staff can use different strategies to help children feel confident to ask questions and make suggestions.

Some examples include:

• Holding informal group chats to ask for ideas
• Using suggestion boxes for children who prefer to write or draw their thoughts
• Responding positively and visibly to children’s input
• Using “question cards” where children write things they are curious about
• Encouraging peer discussion to build on each other’s ideas

These strategies should be adapted so they suit the needs and ages of the children in the setting.

Creating a Safe Space for Expression

Children will only share their ideas if they feel safe from negative reactions. This means setting respectful rules about listening and responding to each other.

Staff need to model respectful communication by:

• Listening fully before replying
• Validating children’s ideas, even if they cannot be used exactly as suggested
• Avoiding harsh responses to questions
• Ensuring all children get time to speak

This atmosphere helps children learn how to contribute in a positive way.

Encouraging Reflection

Reflection means thinking about experiences and learning from them. Staff can encourage children to think about what worked well and what might be improved in activities. This can lead to suggestions for future play and help children develop analytical thinking.

Reflection can be guided with simple prompts such as:

• “What did you enjoy most today?”
• “Is there anything you would change next time?”
• “How could we make this game fairer?”

These prompts can start important discussions and generate fresh ideas.

Final Thoughts

Allowing children to ask questions, offer ideas and suggest changes keeps playwork settings fresh, inclusive and engaging. It gives children real influence over their environment and builds important skills for life.

By encouraging this type of participation, staff are supporting children’s development in communication, confidence, problem solving and responsibility. They are creating a setting where children feel valued and respected, and where play is shaped by those who take part in it every day.

The more children feel heard, the richer and more meaningful their play will become. This is how a playwork setting can grow into a space where every child has the freedom to contribute, explore and thrive.