Preparing children for school: How Weplay supports readiness through hands-on skill development

In early childhood education and care (ECEC), supporting a successful transition to school is a key priority. High-quality school readiness programs aim to prepare children holistically, physically, socially and emotionally, and in terms of independence and early learning behaviours. School readiness encompasses a broad combination of capabilities: physical development, social and emotional wellbeing, curiosity and learning dispositions, early literacy and numeracy, self-regulation, and the ability to adapt to a structured environment.

 

Within this landscape, a new initiative, We Support Hands-On Learning is playing a role advocating for dynamic, physical-led experiences that nurture and build many of these foundational skills. For school readiness, good hands-on learning is purposeful, guided and connected to developmental goals. It engages the senses and encourages active thinking, such as predicting, testing and solving, as well as helping to develop motor skills (fine and gross) and creative skills. 

 

One of the platinum partners of We Support Hands-On Learning is Weplay, an international award-winning provider of quality educational learning resources with a strong focus on play-based, developmentally appropriate design. Weplay’s expertise in early childhood education is the cornerstone of their design objectives that build practical, movable and storable equipment that supports educators to meet the learning goals of children across key areas of development. Their product range focuses on five areas of holistic development, including tactile perception, motor skills development, balance coordination, fine motor skills improvement, and creative play interaction. Their philosophy is simple:

 

• Systematic products for holistic development 
• Bringing nature indoors so a limited place becomes unlimited space 
• Environment as a child’s second teacher

 

Weplay supports educators with invaluable activity guides full of ideas to help create meaningful learning moments while meeting educational goals. Let’s take a look at how their resources build skills across five key developmental areas for school readiness.

 

1. Tactile perception

 

 

Tactile perception refers to a child’s ability to sense and interpret touch, texture and the feedback their body receives in contact with surfaces. For children entering school, this matters for several reasons: children will be handling a wider variety of materials (paper, craft, classroom furniture), moving between indoor/outdoor surfaces, sitting at desks, using equipment, all of which require confidence, adaptability and sensory engagement

 

Weplay has produced resources such as the Tactile Path (straight and curved pieces with textured surfaces) and Tactile Panels that encourage children to step, crawl and explore varied surfaces, thereby building curiosity, creativity and confidence with new sensory experiences.

 

2. Motor skills development

 

 

Gross motor skills encompass large body movements such as running, jumping, climbing, hopping or balancing while moving. For children starting school, these skills matter because the school day involves significant movement transitions (playground to classroom, lining up, active breaks) and children who are physically confident are more able to engage in learning rather than being preoccupied with controlling their bodies.

 

Weplay’s motor skills development series includes items such as the Motor Skill Basic Set (bricks, poles, hoops, balance beams) designed for movement planning, coordination and strength. Young children will be able to further develop their sense of balance, coordination, and motor skills through riding Replay Trikes and Scooters. 

 

3. Balance and coordination

 

 

Balance and coordination allow children to manage themselves in space, an important element of transitioning to school when furniture, room layouts, play zones and movement patterns are new. When children are more aware of their body in motion and less distracted by maintaining upright posture or adjusting to uneven surfaces, they can focus more readily on learning tasks.

 

Weplay’s balance and co-ordination range include stepping stones, wobble boards and modules that encourage weight-shifts, safe falls, stepping precision and self-regulation of movement. These encourage focus, spatial awareness and adaptability while enhancing children’s balance and coordination.

 

4. Fine motor skills

 

 

Fine motor skills are all-important for early schooling: holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, turning pages, manipulating classroom tools, gluing, threading, all hinge on control of small muscles in hands and wrists and on bilateral coordination. 

 

Weplay’s fine motor series includes manipulative and construction sets designed to build dexterity, hand-eye coordination, bilateral hand use and manipulative control in playful, open-ended ways.

 

5. Creative play interaction

 

 

Creative play is more than fun. It supports imagination, problem-solving, collaboration, persistence and self-directed exploration. All of these behaviours translate into classroom readiness, children who are comfortable exploring, interacting with peers, taking initiative with materials, and persisting with self-chosen tasks often transition more smoothly into structured school environments.

 

Weplay’s creative play interaction range includes Construction Tiles, and modular sets that enable children to design, build, test and collaborate.

 

Why this matters for school readiness

 

Research consistently shows that hands-on learning, where children physically engage, experiment, build and move, builds deeper understanding, greater retention and richer engagement than passive instruction alone. By integrating resource-rich play-based experiences across tactile, gross motor, balance, fine motor and creative domains, a service can help children arrive in their first year not only academically ready but physically, socially and emotionally prepared for the shift.

 

Weplay resource designs are as innovative and inspiring as they are educationally sound and designed to align with school readiness.

 

Weplay resources are designed with flexibility and play value in mind. Many can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings, and activity guides are available to support educators in linking experiences to learning goals. Weplay products are distributed in Australia exclusively through Modern Teaching Aids (MTA).