How Children Learn Through Play

Play is children's work. Parents want the best for their children. They primed their offspring to grow and to learn. But how do children learn? Many experts believe that play is important in children development. Lev Vygotsky is a psychologist who came up with the play theory that emphasizes in social development. Jean Piaget another psychologist also born the same year as Vygotsky studied the intellectual development of children through play. Hence, play is indeed very significance in learning and development of kids.


Benefits Of Play In Children Development And Education

• Based on studies, children behave better in the class when they have the opportunity to blow off steam on the playing field during the day.
• Playing also teaches children to control their own feeling, a skill that serves them well as they move through life.
• Better health. The American Heart Association advocates that kids over the age of two engage in at least an hour a day of moderate, pleasurable physical activity.
• They learn to count, to problem solve and to make friends.
• Enhancing a child's play with music and harmony not only enriches the learning experience, but also develops listening proficiency and creates a new level of relations with the world.

Parten's Stages Of Play

Mildred Parten grouped play into 6 stages and determined that children’s play styles mirror their social development. 

• Unoccupied -- Not engaged in play.
• Solitary (Independent) -- Playing separately from others, with no reference to what others are doing
• Onlooker -- Watching others play. May engage in conversation but not engaged in doing. True focus on the children at play.
• Parallel -- Playing with similar objects, clearly beside others but not with them. (Near but not with others.)
• Associative Play -- Playing with others without organization of play activity. Initiating or responding to interaction with peers.
• Cooperative Play -- Coordinating one’s behavior with that of a peer.

Parents play an important role in children's play. Be supportive and patient if the kids want to play. Remember that parents are the first teachers and they need to create pleasant and positive experience for the kids.

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