The aim of this study is to increase knowledge and understanding of free play or free fun time importance for children of age around five years in preschool, in order to promote children’s development and learning. The focus was on exploring and better understanding of teacher’s and educators’ approach to the free fun play time as a tool in their educational work, and also about their own role in this context as well as analyzing of forms, rules and structures spontaneously created by groups of children having free play fun time. Another important moment of this study was to give more light on approaches to this issue in education theories by Piaget, Vygotsky and Freud among others.

As to the practical experimental part of the study it has been performed at a preschool and kindergarten in a suburb at the outskirts of Stockholm, with four employed educators there and with groups of children of age around five. The main methods used were interviews with teachers and observation of the children during their free fun play time.  

To summarize the most significant conclusions on the educators approach to the free fun play time it can be mentioned that some of them use the free fun play as educational tools for learning, they see upon that as a part of established education. Some approach the free play time as an important and necessary ingredient of children school time, but not as an official educational activity and method. All are positive to the free play time in the way that it contributes to children’s social competence, to development of their language skills and to their emotional and psychological development. They look upon their own role in this context of the free play fun time as inspiration giving, leading and regulating.