A Child’s Work Is Play

Growing YearsResearch shows the first few years of a child’s life provides the foundation for lifetime learning.  New brain imaging technology lets us view how the brain works.  Research also tells us that 75% of brain development occurs after birth. And, children are eager learners with their natural curiosity of the world around them.  Through their natural curiosity, they develop thinking skills and sense of logic.  They enjoy repetition and love surprises, making them a sponge for brain development.

Well known, to the early childhood specialist, is a child’s need to play. When children play, they are busy thinking, solving problems and being creative and spontaneous.  When we provide experiences that stimulates their curiosity, we enhance learning. A variety of experiences should be offered.  Language, science, math, social relations, art and music, are important components in order to development of a complex and integrated brain. Play should also provide an opportunity to link sensory-motor, cognitive, and social-emotional experiences together.  Play teaches children to make choices and offers opportunities to practice actions over and over again and should come from the child’s own imagination.  So, find fun and interesting activities to do together to enhance your child’s brain development.

Play is necessary for healthy development, as play activities stimulate and influence the pattern of connections made between nerve cells, which in turn, influences the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, socialization, personal awareness, emotional well-being, creativity, problem solving and learning ability.

Like all other development, play skills follow a pattern.  First is the child is an onlooker,  passively  watching other children play.  Then comes solitary or independent play involving no one other than self.  Parallel play may involve using each others toys, while remaining engrossed in the child’s own activity.  Associative play is when children share materials and talk to each other, but do not coordinate play objectives or schemes.  Cooperative play is the ultimate goal.  Children organize their play assigning roles and common schemes, with a common goal.

Whether indoors and outdoors, children need large blocks of time (30 – 60 minutes or greater) for play. Shorter play periods may result in children having to abandon their play just when they begin to become involved. If this continues to happen, children may give up on more complex forms of play and settle for play that can be completed in shorter periods, limiting benefits of complex play, such as persistence, negotiation, problem-solving, planning, and cooperation.

Remember… a child’s work is his/her play.  Encourage your child to take advantage of his/her play by offering opportunities to play through play dates and appropriate tools.

 

Source: Linda G. Swann, M.S. Early Childhood / SPED