The Impact of Play for Early Childhood Development
Why Play?
Indoor and outdoor play for early childhood development is crucial for early development. Play provides and encourages kids to use thinking skills, imaginative play, and social skills. Kids can discover new opportunities by using their senses, motor skills, and imagination.
Why Play is Crucial for Child Development
Play is important because play naturally engages children to use their curiosity in the environment around them. With curiosity and imagination combined, this helps kids gain confidence within themselves. They are able to feel in control, learn how to make choices, and be able to play well with others.
Playing Builds Strength
Allowing children to have outdoor play on outdoor equipment is a great way for them to burn off their energy. Outdoor play naturally provides daily exercise. Children learn to run, use their muscles, be able to appropriately use playground equipment, and encourages them to be more active.
Play and Early Learning
A great example why play for early childhood development and learning is important is it helps children become ready for school. Children playing with educational toys and or activities, encourage interaction with adults and other kids. Having that social interaction is a crucial part for learning with others. Educational play teaches children to pay attention and focus on the activity, and or games they are engaging in. By adults providing activities such as sensory bins, color matching, and identifying objects/animals, builds readiness and prepares them to achieve so many milestones in school.
This blog was created by Briana Martinez who is currently a student at www.cdaclass.org. Her goal is to become a preschool teacher once she completes her class at Child Development Associate (CDA). Briana currently works at a daycare center as a child caregiver and has been working there for two years. Additionally, she enjoys reading in her free time and spending time outdoors with her one-year-old daughter.