It’s all in a day’s PLAY

It’s not uncommon to hear the parent of a pre-schooler saying, “It looks like they are just playing”. After all, what is the first thing many young children say when you ask them about their day? “I played with (fill in the blank with names of friends here)” And while many parents may approve of their children playing with friends, some may wonder if it is really preparing their child for the challenging years of school ahead.

Well, ask any child development expert (or Google it if you don’t happen to know a child development expert) and they may give you this definitive answer: “It depends”.

Like most things in life, there are some kinds of play that tend to be more beneficial to children than others. The best and most important type of play for development is commonly referred to as “child-centered” or “self-directed”. As you may have gathered, this is based on the concept that children are given the freedom and control to direct their own play. Experts agree that this style of free play allows children to exercise independence, make decisions, and resolve conflicts- three very important milestones for a healthy and well-adjusted child.

Here are some of the things that you may notice the teachers at Kidspace doing to promote child-directed play:

• Teachers provide a rich and stimulating environment and allow children to make choices for themselves. These “centers” for play are thoughtfully prepared to include a variety of activities. While some may gravitate toward blocks, others may prefer puzzles or play dough but each child can choose what interests him or her.
• Teachers stimulate creativity by introducing new play items, concepts, and books but don’t dominate or insist on being the leader. Children will naturally explore new concepts when given the opportunity.
• Teachers follow along with kid’s ideas and ask open-ended questions that allow kids to feel empowered and important. They are experts in this area and should be treated as such!
• Teachers participate and supervise play but only intervene when necessary. This lets kids know that they can be trusted to resolve their own problems.

So the next time you see your child “just playing” at Kidspace, take a minute to observe and see if you can catch your child directing his or her own play. Or better yet, try it at home!  You may be surprised where it takes you.