Co-Play

CO-PLAY STEAM explores how “computational play” can be a natural and effective pathway for young children to learn about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).

In today’s fast-changing world, skills in science and technology are more important than ever. But how do we introduce these big concepts to our youngest learners (in Early Childhood Education and Care, or ECEC) in a way that is meaningful, engaging, and fun?

The Co-Play STEAM project believes the answer is play. Instead of focusing on formal “computational thinking,” we’re taking a “reverse approach”. We start with what children do best: playing, exploring, and being creative. From there, we’ll build a framework that empowers educators to weave STEAM concepts directly into these playful activities, using a mix of both digital and physical (analogue) tools. The goal is to equip educators with creative teaching strategies and build a collaborative community where they can share best practices⁷.

What Are We Doing? (Main Activities & Outcomes)

This project is all about collaboration. We are working directly with educators, school leaders, and researchers in a “co-creation” process. Together, we will:

Analyze Needs: First, we’ll conduct a “Context Analysis” (WP2) to understand the specific needs and challenges in each partner country.

• Design in Playlabs: We will host “Co-creation Playlab Designs” (WP3), which are hands-on workshops where we’ll design and test new STEAM activities with educators.

  Develop “Playboxes”: A major outcome will be the creation of Playboxes. These are physical toolkits filled with digital and analogue materials, along with practical guides, that educators can use in their classrooms.

• Implement and Refine: The project will then move into “Playlab Implementation” (WP4), where we test and refine the Playboxes and methodologies in real-world ECEC settings.

The project’s final results will include research-based methodologies, the finished Playboxes, an online course for educators, and a series of STEAM Festivals in each country to share our findings.

Our Role

As the Comparative Research Network (CRN), our main responsibility is to co-lead Work Package 5: Dissemination and Impact

This means it’s our job to make sure the project’s valuable results and innovative methods reach the widest possible audience. Our specific contributions include:

• Leading Impact Activities: We will guide the project’s overall strategy for making a real-world impact.

• Developing Online Training: We will use our expertise to create the project’s online course and training materials to help educators across Europe use the Co-Play STEAM methods.

  Creating Engaging Content: We will develop gamification videos and other visual tools to make the project’s findings accessible and engaging.

• Informing Policy: We will be responsible for drafting policy briefings to share our results with decision-makers and advocate for the importance of STEAM in early education.

We will also be developing the Co-Play STEAM methodology alongside our partners and will be excited to host a STEAM Festival right here in German!

Co-Play STEAM is a 36-month project coordinated by HOGSKOLAN I HALMSTAD (Sweden) and includes partners from Denmark, Norway, and Portugal.