Kids want to play, but just as importantly, they need to play. It’s good for them, and helps them become well-rounded adults.
As Deborah J. Leong and Elena Bodrova wrote in a Scholastic article on the importance of child’s play:
“There is a growing body of research that shows a link between play and the development of cognitive and social skills that are prerequisites for learning more complex concepts as children get older.”
Here are eight things parents should know about child’s play:
1. Children learn by playing
When your kids set up a pretend grocery store, they can hone their math and problem solving skills. When they run around on the playground or learn to balance blocks, they’re building their physical abilities. And when they play in a group, they’re sharpening their social skills.
In short, when your kids are playing, they’re also learning.
2. Play helps with children’s health
Kids need exercise, and many forms of play allow them to do just that. In an age where childhood obesity is a national epidemic, physical play can serve as an antidote.
3. Play makes kids less stressed
“What reason do kids have to be stressed?” It’s a question a lot of people might ask. They don’t have mortgages or marriages or jobs, and our own childhoods can look pretty rosy in the rearview mirror.
The truth is that kids can still feel anxious, whether it’s about school or their peers or problems at home. Child’s play allows them to let go of that stress.
4. Play teaches kids empathy
When kids play with other children and act out scenarios with set rules, they learn some valuable skills: prioritizing goals and actions, and delayed gratification. But they also learn how to consider other people’s needs and perspectives.
5. Play is complex
As we noted above, child’s play is complicated enough that researchers take an interest in how it works. There’s research into how it helps kids learn, the value of recess during the school day, and how time staring at a screen can affect play.
6. Give your kids time to play
As a parent, you can play an important role in boosting your child’s learning by making sure they have as much time as possible each day to play. Consider it a second classroom, a chance to improve their mental, physical and social development.
7. Let them play outside
Some of our best memories come from playing outside: building forts in the woods or our backyards, sledding down steep snowy hills, making sand castles at the beach or inventing new games with our friends. Make sure your children have the chance to make their own memories.
8. Trust their instincts
When you were a kid, play came naturally. Give your kids time to develop games on their own, while still offering your services as a play mentor – or referee – when they get stuck.
At Swingset & Toy Warehouse, we recognize the importance of child’s play. From outdoor play sets that help spark their imagination to trampolines that provide a valuable – and fun – form of exercise, our products are designed to build happy, healthy children.
Visit us online or at one of our four New Jersey locations (Flemington, Upper Saddle River, Freehold and East Hanover) to find something that will make playtime more enjoyable for your children.
