| As adults we sometimes use the phrase 'oh, that's | | | | reasoning skills come into play activities on a regular |
| child's play' to indicate a frivolous or unimportant | | | | basis. The toy or game doesn't need to specifically be |
| activity. However, for your child, play is a very serious | | | | designed for this kind of activity, but simply the act of |
| activity and the foundation for their mental, emotional, | | | | engaging with new situations, toys, materials and |
| physical and social development. Yes, of course, | | | | environments will give them the experiences of |
| children like to play, but did you know that this is not | | | | problem solving, thinking and reasoning. |
| simply a happy way to spend a few hours, but | | | | Social skills - those skills that relate to individual and |
| essential to your child's development? | | | | group relationships are also developed during play. |
| Play provides a significant way to put your child's | | | | Children are learning how to relate to each other. How |
| (boundless!) energy to good use. It helps them to | | | | to belong to a group, negotiate roles, share and follow |
| refined large and small motor skills as well as building | | | | the rules of game. And, of course, during play with |
| strength and stamina. Play is significant to physical | | | | other children, they learn about friends. |
| development as it is the way in which their body learns | | | | Play provides an avenue for many other emotional |
| how to move and then to grow and develop naturally. | | | | needs to be filled such as a sense of accomplishment, |
| It also has a significant effect on sensory development. | | | | successfully giving and receiving attention, and building |
| Through exposure to a range of different textures | | | | a sense of self. Of course, learning how to manage |
| (water, sand, hard, soft etc), colors and sounds play | | | | emotions such as frustration, anger, fear and stress is |
| enables sensory development, without it, its hard to | | | | also facilitated by play. |
| imagine how else a child would learn the difference | | | | With so many positive benefits to child's play, as |
| between textures and how their sense work. | | | | parent or carers of children, one of the best things we |
| Thankfully, children posses a natural curiosity, so we as | | | | can do is to encourage our children to play. Color |
| parents or educators can support this curiosity by | | | | pictures, finger paint, build imaginary cars, castles or |
| providing age-appropriate toys, environments and | | | | cities, or perhaps even go camping in the living room. |
| materials for the child to explore and play with. | | | | Amidst all the business of our modern worlds, |
| Play also enables a child to learn about the world and | | | | childhood can slip away from us and them very |
| discover information that forms the basis for their | | | | quickly, so help them enjoy being a kid and take all the |
| learning patterns throughout life. Basic concepts such | | | | benefits they can from play time. |
| as counting, building/construction, problem solving and | | | | |