Play is an important part of childhood; we tend to lose this a little when we become adults. But discovering play again in your life can be a new form of joy. However, in this article, we are focusing on how play helps children develop and gives them a better understanding of this brand new world around them.
There are many childcare centres such as family day care Tarragindi that include play based learning in their programmes. This is a great way for children to learn how to interact with others. They will learn how to resolve conflicts and work collaboratively. For example, if there is a play structure, they will learn how to share it with others and how to take turns o that everyone gets to play without being left out. This will improve their empathy skills as well. These social skills will be learn instinctively and these will form a solid foundation throughout their life as well. Children are naturally curious and are brimming with imagination. And playing allows them to grow their creativity and imagination. They will explore different ideas and scenarios. They will engage in open-ended play where they can make up the rules as they wish. They will learn how to solve problems and think critically. So many cognitive skills are developed through play based learning because children learn to think critically and make decisions. As they will need to communicate with each other, they will develop their language skills further. This paves the way for sharing ideas and negotiating.
Playing will also improve your child’s memory and attention.
They will learn to concentrate on a task for a duration. For example, if they are going on the monkey bars, they need to concentrate on where they place their hand next and balance themselves carefully so they don’t fall. They will also observe how others do it to see how they can improve. There are many challenges they will face when playing. When children are allowed to explore and learn things through play, they will be more prone to trying new things. And once they have accomplished something, it will fill them with self-confidence. It will also give them the confidence to try more things. They will also learn to fail. But with the right guidance and support, they will learn to try again and again. This will teach them resilience. And these skills can be transferred to other aspects of their life as well.
Children learn best through hands-on experience and play based learning accommodates their natural learning inclination beautifully. They will engage with the environment more and have fun while they do it. This is an example of how children will learn even when they are not aware of it. And play based learning should continue so that even older children are provided opportunities for this. You can also tailor play based learning according to the interests of the child. For example, if your child is interested in construction vehicles, a sand pit can be created with many types of construction vehicles around it. You can then initiate play so that the child learns what each vehicle does and how they move.
