The importance of play in early childhood has a lot to do with the development of a child’s brain as well as their emotional and social wellbeing. Children learn while playing as it is the one thing that makes them truly happy. Play-based learning in early childhood helps children to develop social and communication skills.
There are various methods to introduce effective fun learning methods to make sure that the brain development of your child is happening at a significant pace. It is important to understand the benefits of play and that’s why an online preschool makes sure that your child is making the most of their playtime.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous American essayist, and philosopher, once said that “it is a happy talent to know how to play.” Childhood is the best time of our life. As a child, one is happy most of the time, enjoying life as it is, always busy with something, and know-how to demand with all their might. The world is their playground as all they know is how to play.
Playing is an essential part of children’s daily routine while growing up. It is only this way of playing and learning that helps children to acquire new skills. Play-based learning has a crucial part of play in a child’s development. When we induce learning experiences in a child’s daily play routine, a positive impact is seen on their creativity, emotions, and social skills.
It is a well-known fact that children learn through play as it helps to nurture their imagination. This type of learning fills the child with a sense of adventure that intrigues them to explore more. Let us learn more about the importance of combining learning with children’s playtime.
Why is Playing So Important for Learning?
Nowadays, parents know the importance of associating learning with playing for their children. In early childhood, there are certain qualities that children can learn through playing. Here are few crucial qualities that can be acquired via playing.
- Stimulating early brain development: Playing plays a crucial role in the brain development of a child. An Infant’s brain has an overabundance of neurons, which allows them to capture information better and build a foundation of the brain in the early years. When children are given a learning experience enriched with play, the brain reacts in a much responsive way.
- Enhancing intelligence: Healthy playing experiences in childhood are often associated with higher intelligence in later stages of life. A study conducted by the University of Arkansas deduced that infants who had regular availability of toys to play with display higher IQs by the age of three.
- Improved communication and vocabulary: The link between playing resulting in improved communication and vocabulary was proven by research. When the parent manipulated the names of the toys, the toddlers responded with better language skills after three months.
- Growth in social competence and empathy: Playing for children often comes with opportunities for cultivating social skills. Active playing habits with parents, friends, and siblings help children to experience an environment where they can socialize. While playing together, children learn important virtues like cooperation, self-control, and following the rules.
- Exploration due to outdoor play: One of the most important and beneficial factors is encouraging your kids to engage in playing outdoors. It helps them to learn about the changes in the environment and develop a love for the outdoors too.
Do Kids Learn Better When Having Fun?
To understand how kids learn better when they are having fun, we need to understand the science behind it. Human brains are designed in a way to find pleasure in learning things they find worth it. And when the process of learning includes the element of fun, a chemical called Dopamine is released from the brain. Dopamine acts as a neurotransmitter as it transmits signals from our body to the brain.
When learning is combined with playing, the level of dopamine release increases significantly and affects the brain’s ability to learn and perform better. This release of dopamine not only allows children to learn but also retain information efficiently.
Hence, children learning through play is not an exaggeration at all!
How Do Children Learn Through Play?
Adults need to consider the fact that children have a different way of learning as compared to their own. During their learning process, children tend to compare physical experiences, interact with others and express the wide range of feelings they go through. While playing, the most important thing that kids experience is their imagination.
And unlike us, their imagination knows no bounds and this is the reason why their brain develops logical and creative thinking quicker than ours. And indeed, children do learn through play. Playing for them is a full-body activity that helps them to develop numerous skills. These activities can include anything from running around to dancing and grooving to their favorite songs.
These playful activities are responsible for muscle development and at times, enhancement of motor skills too. In addition to that, they also develop emotional intelligence, which comes in handy when they step into the real world.
Another concept that helps children learn while playing is “meaningful play” which is incorporated by many fun learning Montessori and Kindergarten schools. It is characterized by the following qualities.
- Giving the kids an opportunity to choose what they want to do during the play session.
- A chance to evolve spontaneously rather than force-feeding a script.
- Creating a risk-free environment for the kids where they can experiment and implement new ideas from their imagination.
- Offering the feeling of fun and enjoyment to the child.
In other words, meaningful play allows the kids to be active participants. They are even allowed to set the rules of the activity alongside their peers. The concept of rules may sound counterintuitive, the negotiations and playful engagement that takes place due to these rules offer plenty of benefits.
Help Your Child Learn Through Play
Offering the children a chance to learn through play can prove to be pivotal. When we include the activities like problem-solving, working in collaboration, and interacting with peers, the benefits of learning through play become more evident.
Active participation is another important factor that can be induced into the environment if there is a prospect of excitement involved. When kids feel excited about learning, they perform better and retain the skills quicker than usual.
Conclusion
There is no doubt about the fact that playing is the most essential part of a child’s daily routine. And if learning activities are introduced in that daily grind, then children perform better and develop skills that are essential in the later stages of life.
The concept of play-to-learn preschools is so popular these days as there are plenty of online preschools that offer the best learning experience for your kids. Online playschools these days take pride in their methods of teaching that allow your kids to make the most of their playtime.
There are various methods to introduce effective fun learning methods to make sure that the brain development of your child is happening at a significant pace. A good online preschool understands the benefits of play and makes sure that your child is making the most of his or her playtime.
