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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 or navigate the map below to find a Certified Six Bricks Facilitator near you! 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 🥳 Celebrating Brick Club South Africa: Play That Brings Communities Together A Story of Change: The Power of Play in Action 🌱 DUPLO in Diepsloot About us PB SB

Six bricks Golf shirt R400.00 Six bricks t-shirt R220.00 Six bricks socks R75.00 sondela t-shirt top secret: shirt design will be released at the sondela R400.00 sets of six bricks R60.00 get the Tools for your toolbox find me fast sets R1500.00 the latest from care for education in six bricks learning Pre-order your six bricks Sondela conference merchandise now using the link below: ORDER HERE Pre orders are open until Monday 9 february Care for Education will not arrange to have your merchandise couriered outside of south Africa. once you have completed the pre-order form and your order has been captured you will recieve an invoice.

What does the research say? Over the last few years, Care for Education has reached and trained many practitioners in Learning through Play (LtP) using LEGO® DUPLO as a tool. Explore some of the research conducted around Play Box & Six Bricks, inside and outside of South Africa. Prefer visuals? Click here to view them Have a look at our research reports below 07 Dec 2023 Supporting Learning through Play with Six Bricks in Gauteng Read More 08 Aug 2023 Creating Opportunities for Playful Learning: Teachers in Mount Frere, Eastern Cape, using Six Bricks to teach the curriculum Read More 20 Jun 2023 Quality Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Phase: A Sample of Schools in the Xhariep District Read More 01 Aug 2022 LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices (Synthesis Report) Read More 25 Jul 2022 LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices (South Africa Case Study Brief) Read More 22 Jul 2022 The Care for Education Story (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 18 Jul 2022 Botshabelo Urban Kids in Midrand and Olievenhoutbosch (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 15 Jul 2022 Living Kids in Mamelodi and Eersterus (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief] Read More 13 Jul 2022 The Play Box Story (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 11 Jul 2022 Thanda Community Centre in Mtwalume (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 08 Jul 2022 Chief Albert Luthuli Network of Early Childhood Centres (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 04 Jul 2022 Zero2Five in the uThukela District (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 01 Jul 2022 Atteridgeville Network of Early Childhood Centres (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Read More 02 Jun 2022 Play Box Postings (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief] Read More

< Back Thanda Community Centre in Mtwalume (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Jessica Winter 11 Jul 2022 The study thematically presents findings from Thanda Community Centre in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The report describes the rural setting of Thanda Community Centre, the commitment and passion of the staff towards harnessing children’s full potential using Play Box, as well as the innovative curricula development and neighbourhood learning groups established by Thanda Community Centre. Read the full extract by Gareth Rossiter and more about the newly established neighbourhood learning groups and the extension of Thanda Community Centre in the Eastern Cape. Thanda Community Centre in Mtwalume (Kwa-Zulu Natal) .pdf Download PDF • 335KB Previous Next

< Back Supporting Learning through Play with Six Bricks in Gauteng Jessica Winter 07 Dec 2023 This report will explore the experiences of teachers during these classroom observations, report on teacher reflections, and make suggestions to address challenges and bolster the support and integration of LtP using Six Bricks. Each district and its unique circumstances will be considered in its own section. This report describes observations from a series of school and classroom visits and reflects on discussions with teachers in these schools in Gauteng from July to September 2023. Supporting Learning through Play using Six Bricks in Gauteng .pdf Download PDF • 2.65MB Previous Next

< Back Botshabelo Urban Kids in Midrand and Olievenhoutbosch (Extract from LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices [South Africa Case Study Brief]) Jessica Winter 18 Jul 2022 The extracted report describes a playful lesson facilitated by a teacher at an early learning centre in Botshabelo. The report explains how the teacher uses Play Box with ease and confidence as she integrates activities with early literacy and numeracy. Read the full report by Gareth Rossiter. Botshabelo Urban Kids in Midrand and Olievenhoutbosch .pdf Download PDF • 125KB Previous Next

< Back LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices (Synthesis Report) 01 Aug 2022 The case study identifies and shares good Play Box practices across South Africa, Ukraine, Cambodia, Mexico, and the MENA region. The report examines practitioners’ experiences and perceptions, various models, partnerships, and strategies, as well as the implementation and use of Play Box across different contexts. The report synthesises the findings identified across the case studies. Read the full report by Gareth Rossiter, Ignacio Torrano, Danielle Freed submitted by Itad. Play Box Synthesis Report - August .pdf Download PDF • 1.43MB Previous Next

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< Back LEGO Foundation Play Box Study: A Retrospective Assessment of Practices (South Africa Case Study Brief) 25 Jul 2022 The case study outlines the Play Box history, context, and model using interviews, discussions, and observations. The study presents Play Box contexts, partnership networks, perceptions of Play Box, training, and the impact of Play Box on teaching and learning. The findings are presented as a narrative describing different Play Box sites and models in South Africa. Read the full report by Gareth Rossiter submitted by Itad. Itad Play Box Case Study - July .pdf Download PDF • 3.11MB Previous Next

We use PADLET, an easy and accessible platform, to store and share Six Bricks activities and games from all over the world. Padlet platform Different on the outside but the same on the inside! Each idea has a broad focus which could be Loving Language , Number Fun or Moving and Learning , so they may look a little different on the outside, but each idea includes all the richness that comes with Learning through Play. Use the activities below to make learning fun! Moving & Learning Human Brick Conveyor Belt Wonky Towers Sleight of Hand 3D Hide and Think What is the secret letter? Number Fun Towers with a Twist How many studs can you see? How many are left? Tower Take Down! Estimate and Check Loving Language Building with Language Bringing Storybooks to Life Bricks & Bat, Balloons & Balls Build your Ice Cream Tops and Tails

< Back Quality Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Phase: A Sample of Schools in the Xhariep District Jessica Winter 20 Jun 2023 This case study is based on observations and discussions in a small sample of primary schools in the Xhariep district of the Free State. The district was trained in LtP using Six Bricks in 2021 and was specifically chosen to ensure that the research included rural settings. Read the full report about the Foundation Phase Initiative in Xhariep, Free State. Quality Teaching and Learning in a Sample of Schools in Xhariep - Edits_20 June 2023 .pdf Download PDF • 1.87MB Previous Next