When children play they are using their imagination to act out how they are feeling. In some cases they may act out a situation they want to experience, for example pretending to be mum and dad.
Using their imaginations in this way helps them to:
? Explore their feelings as they learn to express themselves and provides the opportunity to let off steam;
? Develop empathy and consideration for others, as they experience being in someone else's shoes;
? Develop listening skills and verbal communication from social interaction with other children;
? Gain perspective and learn what is real and not real.
Play lays the foundation for reading and writing, and for mathematical and scientific skills. Children learn about colors and shapes through painting and playing matching games. They discover different textures and the significance of objects by exploring things that are rough and smooth and playing with water and sand.
In the hustle and bustle of modern day life and particularly in more urban areas, play often takes a back seat. I was fortunate as a child to be brought up on a farm in the Scottish countryside, where I had plenty of time to play. I went to boarding school where I had to find my own entertainment in my free time, which encouraged me to explore nature. It meant that I had to use my imagination to develop fun things to do in the outdoor environment. I learnt to see the world from a different perspective. It was a valuable experience I will treasure forever!
Of course, a child does not have to be brought up in the countryside to discover a sense of play. We can assist our children by letting them play in whichever neighbourhood we find ourselves. The key to learning through play is being able to work out things for ourselves and being given the chance to do so.
Children today are often discouraged from living their lives in a natural way because we live in a society of fear. We are frightened to let our children out to explore the world around them. Computers and television, which isolate children from their natural world and reduce personal interaction are far too easily used as entertainment. As adults, these children are likely to find it difficult to understand the concept of being free and natural in their approach to work and where they want to go in life. It is important to give them every possible opportunity to play whilst they are children.
To illustrate this point, a personal favorite film of mine is HOOK. The lost boys in the film had great fun using their imaginations and inventing their own fun, from how to defeat the pirates to creating their own food. When the grown up Peter Pan, played by Robin Williams comes along, they show him how to re-discover play, to have fun and not to take life so seriously.
By allowing our children to play we create a future generation of free spirited human beings, who have the instinct to innovate all by themselves.
We never really lose the desire to play, and most of us become adults long before we stop wanting to play as children. In my opinion we often want our children to grow up too quickly and we discourage them from being themselves. How often do we hear comments such as "stop being so childish and grow up". This is somehow strange when they are children and have a lifetime in which to mature! Adults that are in touch with their inner child tend to retain a childlike gift for spontaneous play and are naturally inquisitive.
Let your children have fun and be themselves for as long as they possibly can, and when you take the time to just sit quietly and observe, it is amazing what you can learn about them.
Playtime is one of the most vital parts of childhood development. Research has proven that all areas of development are enhanced through a child's play activities. Healthy growth and development is stimulated through play as early as birth and on into the school age years. Children play in a variety of ways with a number of different toys. Each activity has a different affect on development.
Newborns and infants enjoy a social play style that builds their trust as they prepare to explore the rest of the world. Babies interact with their parents and caregivers as they learn to bond with people and develop a basic understanding of emotions. Social games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake are common play activities for older babies and toddlers.
As young children grow, playtime is the biggest contributor to the healthy development of large muscles. Crawling, walking, and running all develop gross motor skills. Preschool and school age children develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically through outside play. Childhood games of tag, Red Rover, and hide and seek are great activities to encourage healthy development.
The most beneficial play is initiated by the child. During free play is when most learning takes place in young children. A child's natural curiosity leads him to explore possibilities and test each one. A child playing with blocks will begin to stack them. Through this simple activity, the child is learning basic problem solving skills while discovering the effects of gravity and exploring sizes and shapes.
The earliest forms of play in childhood are functional play. A child will use an object for the same purpose over and over again. Through this repetition the child gains confidence in his abilities which will encourage him to do new things. Filling a bucket with sand and then dumping it out and filling it again is an example of functional play. During this type of play, children typically strengthen fine and/or gross motor skills as well as logic thinking.
Constructive play is common in preschool age children. A child playing constructively will create something through his play. This would include things like playing with blocks, doing art, or staging a puppet show. Galt's line of giant floor puzzles will initiate hours of constructive play to develop cognitive thinking, problem solving skills, and creativity. Group constructive play encourages team work and healthy social emotional development as well.
Pretend play is a very important part of healthy development. Most children pretend and role play from their preschool years through early elementary school. This type of play has a number of benefits to the growth and development of a child. Pretend play helps children process the things they see and hear each day. It invited children to be creative and to expand their imaginations. Playing make-believe strengthens language skills and aids in proper social development.
Children gain a strong foundation for learning through play. Playtime is fun. Young children love to explore and discover new things about the world around them and about themselves. Solitary play fosters independent thinking and problem solving while group play encourages cooperation and understanding. For healthy growth and development, children should spend most of their days in free play. Allow your child to play his way and encourage him to solve problems during playtime.
Both Helen Thompson & Nicole Munoz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Helen Thompson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Food and Drink, Parental Care. Helen Thompson is a qualified child care worker (Nursery Nurse) and Brain Gym consultant who has spent many years working with children aged between 0 - 8 years.Helen aims to provide busy parents, carers and teachers with fun and educational activities fo. Helen Thompson's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
Nicole Munoz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cooking Tips, Careers and Job Hunting and SEO Articles. For more tips and information about , check out http:. Nicole Munoz's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.