ABC’s of Learning Through Play A-E

A is Art:

When children make art they are doing much more then just exploring their creativity. By engaging in art activities, they work to develop communication skills- children can express themselves and their emotions through artwork. Along with communication skills, art helps children with their social and emotional skills. Children are allowed to explore and experiment with their feelings in a safe and satisfying way. Having many opportunities to engage in art can allow children to develop positive SELF ESTEEM. Art is also a great way for children to practice their FINE MOTOR SKILLS.

B is for Blocks:

The benefit of blocks can not be underestimated. Blocks are a timeless toy and for good reason. Blocks have numerous cognitive benefits and are great for hand-eye coordination and motor skills. By constructing something out of blocks children learn problem-solving and creative and divergent thinking. Math skills including counting, matching, sorting, grouping, and adding and subtracting are all learned through playing with blocks.

C is for Creativity:

CREATIVE THINKING is important in almost all aspects of development. Creative thinking promotes social development. In young childhood many creative activities are done in a social setting such as singing and dancing. Creative thinking promotes emotional development. Activities that allow for creative expression are a great way for children to learn to recognize and regulate their emotions. Creativity also supports physical development: by playing with creative art materials, children develop their fine motor skills. Creativity enhances language and literacy development by learning new vocabulary words and helps children to associate words with pictures. Lastly, creative thinking helps cognitive development. For information on how to foster creativity head HERE.

D is for Dramatic Play:

When we think of children “playing” I think this is what most comes to mind: playing pretend. Some might think that this type of play is not important and just something kids “do” but that could not be further from the truth. When children play pretend they are learning so much about themselves and the world. They are learning social rules and expectations by playing with friends. They are able to experiment with roles and situations and are able to work through problems and obstacles in a safe environment.

E is for Experimentation:

Famous child development theorist Jean Piaget theorized that children are like “little scientists”. He believed that even infants were active and engaged learners who are constantly constructing their views of how the world works, testing these views and then adjusting to the new information through experimentation. Through play and everyday experiences they are able to perform experiments to try and understand their world. Click HERE for an experimental activity.