Why Children Need Joy by Ben Kingston-Hughes (Nursery World Professional Book Of The Year runner-up 2024)
Sometimes joy comes from simple awe and wonder in the world. Sometimes it is experienced through physically doing something such as dancing or singing. It can be the surprise of discovery, such as a magic potion lighting up, and it can also be the sense of achievement when we climb a tree or maybe even solve a sum. … The concept of joy is linked to play and many of the ways we see children experiencing joy are through play. Joy is broader than play though. It is a feeling that we may experience through play but a feeling that can also occur through a much broader range of experiences. I believe the feeling of joy is when we have gone beyond the ordinary, a state of being that is profoundly important because it is more powerful than our ordinary experiences of life. So, happy children are fantastic, but joyful children are living their best life.
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