Why Play During Early Childhood Development Is Important

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Why Play During Early Childhood Development Is
Important
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When children play, they learn
There are times when children play with friends
and sometimes want to be left alone to play on
their own. Sometimes they may speak aloud while
at play and at other times, be silent in their
heads. Sometimes their play is messy or risky and
other times, quiet and relaxed. Free play is also
important for learning problem-solving skills.
Your child may prefer to try and solve a problem
or come up with a solution on her own to express
her way of thinking. These skills develop rapidly
when a child has the habit of playing
independently. When a child is playing on her
own, she is keeping busy and engaged and is using
her imagination and creativity in childhood.
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Benefits of different types of play
As stated earlier, play is among the most
important ways in which children begin learning.
While there are many characteristics of play, it
is sufficient to know that through play children
get to practice and develop key physical,
emotional, thinking, and social skills, including
creativity, imagination, and problem-solving.
Free play in early childhood also lays a solid
foundation for formal learning in a regular
school environment, enabling children to develop
a sense of achievement and increase their feeling
of self-worth and confidence. What is important
to understand is that parents need not actively
teach the lessons their child will learn through
play.
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Physical play involves movement
When kids play they are physically exercising
their bodies, they get to use the large muscles
of the legs, arms and back to move. Physical play
is important in order to promote and maintain
your childs health, but also to connect with
each aspect of her development and
growth. Physical exercise improves brain activity
by getting fresh air into the bloodstream and
flowing through the brain cells. Physical
movement helps a child learn through her senses
about pace spatial awareness height weight and
the surrounding environment.
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Playing with objects
Also known as parallel play, it involves children
playing alongside each other, but not quite
together. Playing with objects helps your child
develop her fine and gross motor skills when she
learns to fit building blocks together and put
pieces of puzzles together. Playing with objects
encourages your childs cognitive development as
it helps her to think in a clear and logical
manner, sort shapes, and sizes and develop
spatial awareness. It also creates opportunities
for your child to acquire and develop social
skills. As your child begins to play with other
children her age, she learns what it means to
cooperate, take turns and share her playthings.

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Learning through discovery
More learning happens when a child takes part in
activities where she gets to convey her own ideas
using materials with new textures and shapes
sand, water, stones, and shells. You can use a
wider range of materials to promote discovery
through play. You can make it relevant even for
babies when they are able to sit but are not yet
mobile. Encourage your baby to discover by using
her senses. But make sure the materials offered
are safe and age-appropriate. Amongst the many
benefits of discovery through play, the biggest
one is that a child develops creativity, as she
has the freedom to explore.
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Expressing through creative play
Creative play enables the child to experiment and
express herself by giving your child an
opportunity to paint, draw, sketch, dance and
sing. Remember, it is the process of doing and
creating something that is important, rather than
the end result of the activity. This type of play
enables the child to practice physical skills and
coordination, and develop relationships with
others. Creative play also helps the child to
develop cognitive and language skills, and to
build confidence. You can promote your childs
cognitive development as she will begin to
explore textures by using her sense of touch or
sensitize her hearing by asking her to listen to
the sound of pouring water.
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Imagining role-playing
Imaginative play or role-playing is when children
think and act out their feelings and emotions, as
well as by speaking to toys and by other objects
around them. This helps children to develop their
language and communication skills and is also
connected to every other aspect of child
development e.g. physical, intellectual,
emotional and social. There are different kinds
of imaginative play. But remember, it neednt be
elaborate or expensive. Depending on the age and
development stage of your child, one day she may
want to play the role of a doctor. While on
another day shed want to stage a drama
cooperatively by involving other children. Or
indulge in fantasy play, where she might want to
play the role of Wonderwoman, the character from
her favourite television show.
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conclusion
My Gym has specially designed whole-child
development programs that lay a firm foundation
for personal, academic and future growth by
involving your child in age-appropriate
structured and unstructured physical activities
and developing thinking and problem-solving
skills.
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Our Branches
My Gym Buona Vista 35, Rochester Drive,
Rochester Mall, 03-24/25/26 Singapore
138639 Phone [phone]
My Gym Jurong East 3 Gateway Drive, Westgate,
04-39 Singapore 608532 Phone [phone]
My Gym Great World 1 Kim Seng Promenade 03-106
Great World City Singapore 237994 Phone (65)
6235 4070
My Gym Punggol 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis
Terrace, 03-02/03/04 Singapore 820681 Phone
(65) 6787 1178
My Gym Tampines 300 Tampines Avenue 5, NTUC
Income, 05-05, Singapore 529653 Phone (65)
6789 7061
My Gym Parkway Parade 80 Marine Parade Road,
15-03 Parkway Parade, Singapore 449269 Phone
(65) 6440 9916
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