Depending on your upbringing, you may have been told that education should be taken seriously, and that playtime is only for enjoyment, letting off steam or as a reward after learning. But over time, science has proven what many parents and teachers already believed: Learning can actually be more effective and more fun when combined with play.
Playtime is a powerful tool for children’s academic, social, emotional and physical development. These days, increasing numbers of experienced teachers and educators are opening play-based and nature-focused education centers, offering both in-person and online options. This not only makes education enjoyable and accessible, but it also stimulates cognitive development and enhances language and literacy skills, numeracy and critical thinking abilities.
Benefits of learning through play
Play is essential for everyone. If you go to the zoo, for example, you can see that animals engage in play, solving problems and learning things just like children do. Running, jumping and climbing promotes motor skills, coordination and physical fitness. It also encourages emotional growth, as children learn to navigate social dynamics, developing empathy and communication skills. Here are a few of the many advantages of play-based learning.
1. Promotes physical development
Playtime is important for all kinds of movements, both little and large. As young toddlers manipulate building blocks or other small toys, their hands are developing fine motor coordination. While playing on the playground, they build strength and flexibility through a variety of different games and activities.
2. Encourages creativity
When kids have the freedom to explore their thoughts and ideas, their creative potential soars, and they start to think outside the box. This newfound creative freedom often leads them to come up with remarkable ideas and solutions that can even leave adults in awe of their imagination.
3. Supports mental well-being
Children need playtime to burn off their energy. Movement-based therapy helps many children who experience anxiety and depression, and moving through their own natural energy brings a range of mental and physical benefits.
4. Improves social development for infants
In the context of playtime, particularly when children are playing with their peers, social development takes center stage. It is an essential aspect of their growth, as they learn how to take turns, resolve conflicts and hone problem-solving skills. Playtime also develops leadership and communication abilities, especially when engaging in activities that kids create for themselves. The games they play, the rules they establish for fairness and their conflict resolution skills showcase their impressive social development progress.
5. Builds social skills
Learning through play can teach children other social skills that will benefit them at school and at home. For example, movement-based learning through games such as “What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?” or “Freeze Tag” does more than just improve coordination. It also helps improve listening skills and the ability to follow instructions.
Playtime also teaches resilience. When spending time with young children, try playing card games, whether it’s games that incorporate math skills or very simple games such as Go Fish. Try to not always let them win, as this does not reflect real life or promote resilience. The beauty of these games lies in their capacity to impart new skills – but also to teach kids how to handle setbacks and defeat.
6. Promotes relationships and making memories
Playing with young kids helps to deepen bonds and form memories. Picture a funny memory, such as accidentally dropping a freshly baked blueberry pie on the floor. Aside from creating a humorous memory that children can still laugh about years later, it conveys the valuable lesson of learning to find humour in different situations and not dwelling on mistakes. This also nurtures childhood resilience.
7. Improves confidence
Some other benefits of physical play are lessons on setting goals and achieving objectives. A good example of this concept is playing on monkey bars. Kids set themselves goals, like how many rungs they can climb or how long they can hold on for without falling. When they challenge themselves and succeed, they experience a sense of accomplishment. Even when they challenge themselves and are unsuccessful, it demonstrates that, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
8. Facilitates learning in an enjoyable way
Although kids may view activities such as skipping or playing football as purely enjoyable, parents can integrate learning opportunities such as counting throws, adding up scores and setting number-based goals, etc.
9. Enhances learning for neurodivergent kids
Play-based learning can be especially helpful among certain populations. This includes children on the autism spectrum, who may also experience challenges like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or have a preferred learning style. Introducing alternative problem-solving methods during playtime can be less intimidating than strict academic rules. This approach not only supports the development of cognitive skills in infants but also plays a pivotal role in nurturing social skills.
How can parents incorporate play-based learning?
Learning through play is a wonderful way to explore your child’s potential. Try these expert tips for implementing it at home.
Integrate playtime into daily routines.
Parents can easily incorporate play into daily routines. For example, turn bath time into math time by introducing funnels, plastic cups or spoons, encouraging kids to explore concepts like emptying and filling. Engaging children in cooking and baking not only teaches fundamental math skills such as fractions, but it also shows them that cooking is fun. This early involvement makes it enjoyable, so it doesn’t feel like a chore as they grow older.
Don’t overthink it.
As young parents and teachers, it can be common to organize designated play spaces and quietly observe. There’s nothing wrong with this formal approach, but it’s not necessary. Playtime can be a simple spontaneous session of laying out wax paper and shaving cream for creative play while you’re cooking. With young children, movement-based games like exploring outdoors or digging for worms have many benefits.
Balance structured and unstructured playtime.
There’s nothing wrong with structured games and activities, but make sure to leave time for unstructured play and exploration too. As children grow up, unstructured playtime helps them explore their creativity, invent games and collaborate with friends. Providing toys such as blocks or art supplies can help with hands-on, unstructured play.
Let your child take the lead.
Instead of imposing your own expectations, like wanting them to follow in your footsteps, meet them halfway and engage in meaningful conversations to connect with and learn from them. Listening attentively and asking questions to understand them is important. Parents can share their wisdom by showing empathy, observing and adapting to their child’s chosen path.
Set up your home for success.
Here are some suggestions for creative activities to assist in child development, whether homemade, bought or found online:
- Sensory buckets: Fill buckets or small containers with different materials like rice, sand or water and let your children explore textures and engage in imaginative play.
- Scavenger hunt: Hide clues or objects related to a favourite book around the house or garden, stimulating problem-solving skills.
- Music sets: Investing in musical instruments such as hand bells and drums can nurture creativity and develop coordination.
- Lovevery: This company’s development kits nurture early child development and learning. They offer age-appropriate toys and activities, promoting motor, emotional and cognitive skills in infants.
Explore in-person opportunities.
Make sure to explore child programs offered by local libraries, as they often encourage interactive play and engaging learning experiences. Consider the advantages of sensory-based classes, whether online or in-person, as they can greatly enhance your child’s development.
Learning through play: the bottom line
As adults, it can be challenging to remember the value of playtime, whether we grew up being taught the value of play or were scolded for wasting time. However, experts emphasize, although playtime is deceptively simple, physical, mental, social and emotional growth is happening below the surface. It shouldn’t be treated as a reward for completing their chores, but used as a potent tool for child development.
