A teacher in Uganda sitting with a child supporting them as they are learning

The Play Toolbox

Practical, field-tested resources for play-based Early Childhood Education (ECE)

The Play Toolbox is a free, field-tested suite of Early Childhood Education (ECE) resources developed by Children on the Edge. Designed specifically for low-resource, conflict-affected, and crisis contexts (Education in Emergencies / EiE), the toolkit provides grassroots practitioners, NGOs, and community educators with practical tools to implement, monitor, and measure play-based learning.

For more than a decade, Children on the Edge has worked alongside local partners to deliver play-based Early Childhood Education in some of the world’s most complex environments - from refugee settlements in Uganda to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Myanmar and informal urban and rural settlements.

children playing outside putting stones and water in a plastic bottle

Along the way, we have learned what works through real-world experience: how to build nurturing, play-led learning spaces where resources are scarce, and how to measure real impact.

We believe that effective tools should be shared openly. To help grassroots organisations, educators, and community leaders create the greatest possible impact for children living on the margins, our core resources are completely free to access.

Find out more

three children in Uganda each holding two sticks using one stick to hammer the other into the ground

WHAT DOES THE PLAY TOOLBOX INCLUDE?

Congolese mothers with babies on their backs help their children learn through mud modelling.

1. Implementing Play-based Learning

Practical, step-by-step guidance designed for educators and community facilitators working in low-resource or crisis settings:

  • Principles of Playful Learning: Foundational concepts to embed child-led play into everyday teaching.

  • 10 Reasons Early Childhood Matters: Key advocacy and foundational points for teachers, parents, and community leaders.

  • 10 Inclusion Principles & Practice: Strategies to ensure children of all backgrounds and abilities can participate fully.

  • Teacher Peer Planning Guidance: A collaborative framework for educators to plan, share ideas, and support one another.

  • The Playful Learning Activity Book: A selection of low-cost, high-engagement activities using locally available materials.

2. Monitoring Programme Quality

Light-touch, practical monitoring tools to evaluate classroom or home learning environments and teaching practices:

  • The Quality Review: A structured checklist to evaluate learning spaces, routines, and safety.

  • Teaching & Learning Observation: An observation guide to support teacher mentorship and track classroom engagement.

a child in uganda who has used coloured bottle tops and sticks to make a pattern on the ground

3. Measuring Impact & Child Development Outcomes

A framework developed by Children on the Edge and Learn to Play Botswana and externally verified by The University of Chichester.

The Assessment for Play-Based Early Childhood Education: helping early years programmes to identify strengths, address gaps, and continuously improve child development outcomes through play. It includes:

  • Observational Assessment of Child Development Outcomes

  • Programme Quality Assessment

Accessing the Play Toolbox

To access the Play Toolbox resources or enquire about training for your team, please click the button below and complete the form. A member of our Education & Learning team will be in touch.

Download the Play Toolbox

Children digging in the mud and playing with toys
A child in uganda using a stick to draw stick people on the ground

Bespoke Training Packages

To get the most out of our resources, we offer tailored training alongside your download to optimise their use. Investment in training for the use of the Assessment for play-based ECE is particularly beneficial for ensuring its effective implementation, along with robust data and findings. 

Delivered by our Education & Learning Team, our training packages are developed depending on your needs, but can include:

  • Step-by-step written implementation instructions

  • Pre-recorded video demonstrations 

  • Live online coaching and Q&A sessions

  • Webinars

  • In-person site visit

Training packages are priced based on organisation size and needs. 

Enquire about bespoke training

Licensing & Usage

All materials within The Play Toolbox are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

You are free to adapt, translate, and share these resources for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given to Children on the Edge and any adaptations are shared under identical terms.

All original intellectual property remains with Children on the Edge.

a group of children running towards another child who is standing opposite them

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are The Play Toolbox materials free?

Yes. All core curriculum, observation guides, and assessment tools are 100% free under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Organisations are free to translate and adapt them for non-commercial use. Optional hands-on training packages are available at tiered rates.

Who developed and verified these tools?

The tools were developed by international NGO Children on the Edge. The Assessment for Play-based ECE was developed in collaboration with Learn to Play Botswana, with formal academic verification from the University of Chichester.

Can these tools be used in conflict zones and refugee settlements?

Yes. The toolkit was explicitly created and tested in high-adversity environments, including Ugandan refugee settlements and IDP camps in Myanmar, requiring minimal technology and locally available materials.

children in uganda using a sticks to bang a box and make different sounds

Contact the team

If you would like any more information or have any questions please complete the enquiry form and a member of the Education team will be in touch shortly.

Enquire about the Play Toolbox DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR OPEN SOURCE INNOVATIONS

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