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Care for Education is a Non Profit Organisation and a partner of the LEGO Foundation. We distribute charity resources and training to children, schools and organisations in need. We aim to impact early childhood development and the Foundation Phase. Welcome to the home of Playful Learning For easy access, click any button below to tour our site. ABOUT US WORKSHOPS RESOURCES SIX BRICKS PLAY BOX Our Mission is to inspire life-long learning through the engagement of concrete manipulatives which challenge and empower educators and children to make positive changes in their development. Our Philosophy as Care for Education stems from our belief that learning should take place through construction rather than instruction, and that many more concrete, tactile tools or manipulatives should be used, not only to stimulate and encourage the learners, but to greatly accelerate the conceptualisation process and to allow children to become more inventive, curious and creative. Care for Education's Golden Circle To improve the lives of those in marginalized or vulnerable communities, particularly children, by working with partners, providing training and resources to foster skills development and well-being, through play-based approaches that promote exploration and empathy, encourage collaboration and innovation, inspiring the builders of tomorrow to dream big. Listen to 15 years of CFE podcast to learn more about our journey. 15 Years of CFE CFE 00:00 / 06:26 created with NotebookLM Six Bricks International Facilitators Around the World Workshops The invention of Six Bricks A team from Hands on Technologies started working on an idea, that Brent Hutcheson had imagined, around using only Six DUPLO bricks. What is Six Bricks CFE 00:00 / 06:26 created with NotebookLM Interview about Six Bricks - a Beyond the Brick video RESOURCES VIDEOS This basic set of six different coloured DUPLO 2x4-stud bricks is used to encourage children to construct and (more importantly) to deconstruct ideas and concepts whilst working on and developing their perceptual skills. Six Bricks activities help to develop core learning skills – self-regulation; curiosity; creativity & playfulness – the foundation for all later learning, as children solve problems, understand themselves, others and the world around them. The idea of using Six Bricks is based on a belief that children need to be exposed to perceptual (obtaining information from senses)-motor (learning to move with control and efficiency) experiences, which require them to use their brain and body together. This is important for most classroom activities - as in writing, for example, where the child must know the alphabet and how words are formed by combining letters. The child must then transform this knowledge into action – gripping, stabilizing and moving the pencil. The child’s perceptual skill of sight will be used to adjust the movements to create the required pattern or shape. This example illustrates how the mind and body must work together. Performing physical activities also build neural pathways and the more neural pathways the brain has, the easier it is to learn. Perceptual-motor skills are necessary and important in preparing the child’s brain for learning – they build that strong base to support future academic learning. Care for Education's impact extends globally, with collaborations spanning various regions. Partnering with organisations like IRC (Play Matters) , SOS Children Villages and UNICEF , we've conducted training sessions on learning through play using Six Bricks in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey. We have also supported LEGO Foundation teams with training and workshops in Denmark, Mexico, US, New Zealand, India, Italy, Ukraine and Poland. We currently have more than 58 active Six Bricks facilitators located outside South Africa, operating globally in diverse settings such as schools, remedial centres, hospitals, and even old-age homes. Several of these facilitators participated in a week-long Six Bricks seminar hosted at the heart of Six Bricks in South Africa in 2023. Six Bricks Workshop: Join us for a fun workshop and discover playful ways of teaching and learning using Six Bricks. Six Bricks FPI Online Course: This course introduces you to play-based learning & how to integrate it in foundation phase. Suitable for teachers FPI Find a Certified Six Bricks Facilitator Near You! Explore our directory of qualified facilitators from around the world and connect with experts who can bring the Six Bricks learning approach to life. Whether you're looking for workshops, training, or hands-on guidance, our facilitators are ready to support you. View Our Global Facilitator List Now! Open DUPLO Play Box Videos The LEGO Foundation utilizes two types of Play Boxes for global humanitarian efforts. These boxes are filled with DUPLO bricks by retired LEGO group employees, using pieces from damaged and returned boxes. This initiative operates under the name LEGO Charity. Care for Education is deeply involved with Play Boxes in Southern Africa. The DUPLO Play Box contains a variety of DUPLO elements which are valuable as teaching / learning tools in any Early Childhood curriculum as they facilitate development and learning through play. Teacher-guided activities with the DUPLO help children to develop both physically and cognitively. Children are curious about their environment and for learning to take place, they need to be stimulated through their sense of taste, touch, sight, hearing, smell, and they need to move. Children need to be encouraged to explore, create, play and interact with others and their surroundings. The manipulation of concrete material is essential to the young child’s concept development and the large elements in the DUPLO Play Box are the perfect size for young children to handle confidently. They are able to quickly build outside of their field of vision, thereby developing abstract thinking. The child can use his/her own imagination to build creative solutions to problems when playing with the contents of this box. This active learning stimulates the emotional, social, cognitive and physical developmental areas of the child - skills in these areas are needed for critical thinking and learning to take place. Browse our video library showing some excellent L earning through Play practice and meet some inspiring Play Box practitioners across different Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres around South Africa. All Videos Care For Education Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing Practitioners' Tales Little Folks Nursery School 01:37 Play Video Now Playing Practitioners' Tales Ep.1 Siyamthemba 03:32 Play Video Now Playing Practitioners' Tales Ep. 2 Mamshoba ECD Centre 02:20 Play Video Now Playing Practitioners' Tales Ep 3 Bambinos Early Learning 01:03 Play Video During ECD visits, the researchers at Care for Education support practitioners as they show some of their best playful learning activities. What's Trending? BLOG DUPLO in Diepsloot Six Bricks Hits Pinnacle Colleges Playful Learning Takes Root in Ethiopia About us PB SB

Want to get in touch? We would love to hear from you. Contact Us Meet the Team FAQs Privacy Policy Get in touch You can reach us through the below details... Our Address Unit 12, Meadowbrook Business Estate Jacaranda Avenue, Olivedale, 2158 Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Talk to us Contact Number - 011 462 2581 Email - cfe@carefored.co.za Follow us below Click location pin Six Bricks Online Course Help Centre Find out how we can help you below Incorrect details on your certificate? Send us an email with your user account information: Username Email Address Province District Email Can't login to the FPI online course? Send us an email with your user account information: Username Email Address Province District Email To register your user account, click the following: link To reset your password, click the following: link Please note: After you complete a unit on the online course, don’t forget to mark it off as “complete” - this is mandatory There will be a button on the bottom of each and every page to do this. Remember that if you don’t do this it will be difficult for you to download your certificate. There are quizzes throughout the online course that have to be completed as you move through the course. Once you reach the last section of the course, you will have to complete the final quiz. Once you pass the Final Quiz with 80% or more, your certificate will become available for you to download. This video shows you how to register for FPI Online Course If you can't find what you are looking for, email us at cfe@carefored.co.za or call us on 011 462 2581 . Email Meet the Care for Education Team

CAPS-Aligned Activities Note: Our CAPS-Aligned Weekly Activities are created for South African Foundation Phase teachers . Try these fun weekly activities suited for Grade R to Grade 3. • Aligned with CAPS & DBE Workbooks (blue books) • Term & week specific Term 3 Term 2 Term 1 Each activity is tailored to specific terms and weeks, making lesson planning easier for teachers while keeping young learners excited and engaged.

Overview How to Play

Thank you for your interest! Unfortunately all training applications are now closed for 2025. Please visit our website after 20 January 2026 to apply.

Unlock the power of playful learning with our workshops and courses, designed to revolutionize your teaching approach! Our expert-led workshops offer practical tools and strategies to help you foster curiosity, spark imagination, and promote a love for learning in children of all ages. Workshops View our workshops below and click the button of the workshop you are interested in to start transforming your teaching into an exciting, playful adventure! Learning through Play ECD ECD Join our hands-on workshop to discover creative ways to bring Learning Through Play into your program, with fun activities and laughter, all aligned with the National Curriculum Framework! LSEN Workshop: LSEN Bring learning to life! This hands-on workshop explores playful interventions and practical strategies to support learners with special needs through Learning Through Play. Specialised Workshop: Special Custom-crafted workshops with a playful twist! Perfect for teams, big organisations, and focused projects. Got a fun idea? Let’s bring it to life together! Facilitator Course: Facilitator Dive into a 4-day Learning Through Play adventure in the heart of South Africa! This workshop is for people involved in the facilitation space. Therapist Workshop: Therapist A 2-day HPCSA-accredited workshop for therapists and healthcare pros! Add a playful touch to your practice with hands-on skills you can use right away. Six Bricks Workshop: Six Bricks This workshop is for teachers and practitioners who have access to the Six Bricks tool and want to discover playful ways of teaching and learning using Six Bricks. FPI Online Course: This course introduces you to play-based learning & how to integrate it in foundation phase. Suitable for teachers FPI Whether you're a teacher, educator, or caregiver, our courses will empower you to create engaging, fun-filled environments that fuel creativity and enhance educational outcomes. HOME

< Back Creating Opportunities for Playful Learning: Teachers in Mount Frere, Eastern Cape, using Six Bricks to teach the curriculum Jessica Winter 08 Aug 2023 Schools in rural contexts provide a particular lens to observe and understand the complexity of implementing play programs in these settings. These investigations could highlight possibilities and potential, as well as reveal challenges. The report will delve into the perceptions and difficulties experienced by some teachers. Recommendations will be provided to address these challenges and enhance the support and integration of Six Bricks. Eastern Cape_Mount Frere_August 2023 .pdf Download PDF • 1.41MB Previous Next