Learning Through Play

Children learn so much through their daily play.  We as parents can encourage their developmental growth by allowing them the freedom to play within our boundaries of safety.  Purchased toys are designed to stimulate in so many ways, so read the packaging to ensure it is safe and age appropriate for your child.  Educate yourself on the skills for which each toy is designed, and expand on that as you play with your child.

Toys are designed for use in the crib so when a child is put to bed on a schedule or when indicating the need for sleep, he can play until sleep takes over.  These toys are also there so when the child awakens and is not hungry or wet, he can occupy himself instead of needing instant attention.

And as the child grows, his skills are developed even further with the toys, games, and activities we do with our children.  Eye/hand coordination is one of the skills we want our children to master.  With this skill, a child can learn to get his food in his mouth, catch jack rocks, write and paint, put together puzzles, and hit and catch. Both fine and gross motor skills are used.

Gross motor skills involve using the large muscles.

Fingers and your smaller movements are involved with fine motor skills.

Children can be very independent in their playing when allowed the freedom to explore.

We routinely used our kitchen for child's play.  The sounds and sizes and shapes all begged for children to use for discovery.  Filling egg cartons with items teaches one to one correspondence.  Banging on different size pots and pans creates a multitude of sounds for creating songs and tunes.  Whether purchased like the piano or homemade like Raggedy Andy or multipurposed like kitchen utensils, anything can be used for teachable moments.  Climbing in drawers and under tables teach child about their body space and dimension.  As always, keeping the kitchen and other rooms child-safe is essential.

The outside offers another opportunity for learning.  Normal chores such as washing the car and cleaning up the yard can be fun and interactive.

Sandboxes were an essential play area for our sons because of the multitude of skills it encouraged.  The toy soldiers battling and being buried there, trucks wrecking and crashing, hills and houses being built and destroyed; creative play had no limits.  All muscles, body and mind, were activated.
When they outgrew one sandbox, Dad built another.  When cats became a problem, a lid was added.  Eventually, a tike-hut roof was added to keep out the rain and mangoes.

Play is so essential to a child's learning that we need to focus on letting it happen naturally and with our help.  What a fun task for a parent!