Playtime is a crucial part of childhood. Not only do they get to find out about their surroundings at this time, but they can entertain themselves using their own minds because they get to learn.
Here are some ways you can enrich your child’s learning through play.
Toys
Educational toys can help with your child’s development. This is because it gives them an opportunity to learn about the world around them. Depending on how old your child is, such toys should stimulate them, help them learn about shapes, colors and names, plus develop both their motor and language skills. Here are some points to consider if you’re looking to get an educational toy for a child:
- Can the toy be used in multiple ways? Building blocks are a good example here, as they can be used to build different items and help to spark a child’s imagination
- Can the child grow up with the toy (such as with stuffed animals, action figures or trains)?
- Does the toy encourage exploration and problem solving?
- Does it challenge the child’s imagination using creativity?
- Will it help the child get active?
- Can playing with the toy involve more than one generation? Using board games, for example, will help children to learn about taking turns, listening, and even to lose gracefully
Outdoor play
Getting outdoors is a fun way to learn about the world. It’s ever-changing, too, so is a stimulating place for children to be in as they learn and use their senses in these experiences. They can also develop motor skills: there’s more space for them to crawl or walk and, when they get older, to run and jump around. Children will also pick up natural items – such as leaves or cones – to look at and play with.
It encourages a healthy lifestyle, too, as they can burn off energy, and the physical activity outside will help children sleep better. This will help them to encourage healthier habits later on. Also, children who learn about and appreciate nature when they’re young are more likely to be environmentally-aware adults.
Role play
Children use objects to represent something else as part of imaginative play, or give each other roles and act it out, from which they are developing important life skills. This is a major part of their social and cognitive development.
Allowing children to take part in pretend play helps to encourage creativity and imagination, which is a required life skill to solve puzzles, make plans and even enjoy books and films. It also helps with social and emotional development as they learn about cooperation and responsibility, plus develop empathy as they find their place in the world. Communication and language skills are boosted, too, as vocabulary is expanded and children learn how what we say and how we behave can affect others.
Your child is learning all the time. You can enhance these experiences by providing them with toys that can help them develop, taking them to explore our outdoor environment, or encourage them to use role play that will help to establish skills they will need later in life.
