Recently we were at the park and Kay went off to play with another little girl. They stuck a ball in a small pail and made up a game where they tried to bounce the ball and have it land on the pail. (Make no sense? It doesn't need to!)
This is just what she needs, I thought to myself.
This is just what she needs, I thought to myself.
She needs more of playing pointless games with balls? No, not exactly. She needs unstructured time to make up her own games, to explore new ideas with friends, to just be.
I was kind of struck when I came across this sentence in [affiliate link] "Einstein Never Used Flashcards" :
"Unless you are living in extreme isolation or poverty, the natural, everyday environments in which families and children find themselves promote strong brain development."
Think about that for a moment. That means there's no need to plan a curriculum for your toddler, to worry about formally "teaching" your preschooler. It means that nature and evolution has created children who love to learn and whose brains seek out information all on their own. It means that "Children with loving parents who enjoy them, play with them, and offer guidance and suggestions as they explore their environment" will be just fine. No special training needed.
Intuitively I had know this. But I had been sucked into the "earlier is better" mantra pushed by media and society in general. I had been taken in with the competition and the fear that my daughter would be "missing out" if I didn't do "educational" activities.
Still, many parents will, like me, continue to be pulled into the "more is more" vortex. They will continue to doubt that the seemingly mindless free play children engage in is worth anything. So let me try to allay your worries, just a little. Let's take a closer look at those times when kids are "just playing".
- Digging in dirt - Dirt and mud is an open-ended medium that encourages creativity and imagination. It's nature's sensory material and can even have a calming effect on some children. Digging, scooping and pouring are great for fine motor skills. They're also working on math concepts like measuring and volume.
- Rolling down a hill - Gross motor skills, vestibular and proprioception development (helping with balance, coordinated movement and an understanding of space). Big words for something that makes kids giggle!
- Tea party - Set out the fine (plastic) china and work on fine motor skills, etiquette, hand-eye coordination and language. ("Pass the croissants, please!")
- Car play - Vroom! They're working on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, language and even early science concepts. (Why does this car go faster? Why does the bumpy ramp slow down the cars?)
- Block play - Building the biggest tower or creating an elaborate castle develops problem solving, fine motor skills, spatial and math skills. They're learning about balance, gravity, measurement and even geometry.
- Doll play - Dressing and caring for a doll works on self-help skills, which pretend play develops language and social-emotional skills, too!
- Water play - A simple sensory activity that works on pouring and other fine motor skills. They're also learning science, physics (flow, motion), chemistry (solutions, cohesion), and math concepts (measurement, volume). And you thought they just liked to splash...!
The point? Let them play! They're learning...really!
This post is part of a playful series hosted by Encourage Play that's all about...play! Check out the link to learn more about why play matters so much!
