This paper concludes the symposium with an investigation of informal and non-formal pedagogies within the curriculum. The paper draws on two studies: an analysis of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and a study from Denmark which draws data from a multinational project investigating young children’s conceptualisations of play across different cultures. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with community workers and teacher educators involved in development of non-formal pedagogies and through observation of non-formal educational settings. The paper explores the role of non-formal pedagogies, including play, notions of youth citizenship, empowerment and participation, within the developing curricula of the two countries and identifies the potential gains to be made, including ‘critical pedagogy’ and the integration of these with approaches presented in the other papers. The paper reveals how four capacities identified in the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland are also inherent in Danish pedagogy where children’s learning through play supports formal schooling. The long Nordic tradition of delaying the start of formal education and of using play provides an interesting comparison with non-formal approaches developing in Scotland. The study is part of the collaborative Curriculum Workshop. Full accounts of the methodology and literature review are provided.