Anji Play is the name given to an educational philosophy and approach to early childhood education that was developed over the last two decades by Cheng Xueqin, in her capacity as superintendent of public early childhood education for Anji County, China. The approach is based on five interconnected principles: love, risk, joy, engagement, and reflection, and took shape as a response to a national policy change formalised by China’s Ministry of Education in 1996. These policies stated that “play should be the primary activity” of all early childhood programs in the country serving children ages 3–6. We discuss how AnjiPlay has evolved as a comprehensive approach to early education with Jesse Coffino, the CEO of Anji Education, Inc. and Chair of True Play Foundation. 

Out Of The Box is an ongoing series where we explore alternative ways to teach and learn, and is done in collaboration with Anyaman Preschool.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons