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It�鶹APP�s the kind of job you can only dream about getting when you�鶹APP�re a child –��becoming��the world’s first��professor of play.

But applications are being considered for one of the most coveted jobs in education at Cambridge University.

The successful candidate will head up the university�鶹APP�s�� (Pedal) which is funded by the .

�鶹APP�The value of play is relatively under-researched,�鶹APP� says Prof Anna Vignoles, interim director of Pedal and a member of Cambridge University�鶹APP�s faculty of education ��

�鶹APP�The aim of the Pedal centre is to conduct rigorous research into the importance of play and how playful learning can be used to improve students�鶹APP� outcomes.

�鶹APP�Children are now increasingly accessing early-years provision at very young ages.�鶹APP�

This echoes �鶹APP�鶹APP�s 5#5 campaign and the need for focus on early childhood development. We have been highlighting��the importance of essential learning, play, care, health and nutrition for��children under five.

Learning through play��helps young children�鶹APP�s brains to develop and for their language and communication skills to mature.

But 200 million children are not getting the chance to realise their��full potential because of deprivation, conflicts and extreme poverty.

�鶹APP is calling on world leaders to ensure that by the end of 2017 the��funds are allocated��to establish quality early childhood development programmes so that every child is given the best start in life.

For many countries��the importance of proper stimulation and play in the early years (birth to five) is becoming more of a focus.��

Research departments like the��one in Cambridge��can help to��deliver��vital new information on the subject of��play and early childhood development.

The LEGO��Foundation wants to find��a candidate with a �鶹APP�childlike mindset�鶹APP�. He or she should be���鶹APP�an academic who is playful, extremely curious, open-minded, imaginative and creative –��someone who can think of new ways of doing research and work across different disciplines,�鶹APP� said��Bo Stjerne Thomsen, the foundation’s��global head of research.

The foundation is a firm believer that play has a critical role for children, particularly in high-quality learning. �鶹APP�Play should be part of education,�鶹APP� said��Stjerne Thomsen.

�鶹APP�The skills you need now as an adult are collaboration, problem-solving and coming up with ideas. In that sense, play is critical.��

“You use your imagination to plan things, to predict outcomes, to understand how to solve a problem by looking at it from different perspectives.

Play can also help school-age children develop their writing skills – as shown in this film about the work of Cambridge University and the LEGO Foundation.