Playing is the most important learning strategy for kids. It is so essential that it has been enshrined in the United Nations Rights of the Child. Through play, children explore and discover but more importantly, this is how their brains grow and build connections. The activity does not matter; it could be building with blocks, cuddling a stuffie, putting together a puzzle or throwing stones in a puddle. It could even be helping to wash the dishes or put away the groceries. If a child is eager and having fun, creating and manipulating, this is Play.
Kids do not only play with toys. They play with anything: the plastic containers in the kitchen drawer, the box the toy came in, the cans in the cupboard, the pile of clean, folded laundry. Anything!! That’s why parents and caregivers panic when it’s much too quiet. But because toys take center stage this month, December’s blog posts will look at how preschool kids learn by playing with different toys and how toys can help little ones with readiness for kindergarten.
Today, squeeze in a few minutes for you to play with your little one. Play is their vehicle for learning and play-time is crucial for healthy development and kindergarten readiness. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, ” We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing.” What do you and your little one like to play?