Why play??????
Anyone who knows me, knows I love to chat and I am always open to any conversation topic and happy to answer any questions if I can help a family at Fit Kidz, but there is a question/opinion that always makes me sad. It is the one opinion that I will always try and change if needed. That question or statement is usually along the lines of ‘Why do they play all day?’ or ‘Did they do any real work today?’
I guess it is easy for me, I have loved working with children for over 25 years now and I understand that it is an integral part of a child’s development. Through play a child learns from the world, their environment and their experiences. Through the fun of play, a child develops language, problem solving skills, the ability to move and manipulate objects and use their wonderful imagination.
The Benefits of Play
Play also helps our children to build confidence, feel loved, happy and safe and that’s where we will learn best. Play supports your child to develop social skills, language and communication. It will encourage empathy and the willingness to learn about caring for others and the environment not to mention develop physical skills, so it’s super important work.
As your child grows, the way they play will change – they will get more creative and experiment more with toys, games and ideas. This might mean a child needs more space and time to play and the imagination is wonderful.
Children move through different forms of play as they grow. This includes playing alone, playing alongside other children and playing interactively with other children.
So next time you see your child engaged in play remember they are learning lots of essential life skills.
Play is hard work for our children, they are learning so much without even realising it and the wonderful thing is that it is FUN….if only our school system would understand the ‘fun’ element and that we all learn more when we are engaged.
