Why Do Children/Young People Need to Play to Learn
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- Date Submitted: 03/31/2011 07:09 AM
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WHY DO CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO PLAY TO LEARN, GROW AND DEVELOP AND WHAT INFLUENCES CAN AFFECT DEVELOPMENT, E.G BACKGROUND, RELIGION, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Spontaneous play occurs when children do an activity freely. If children organize a ball game, dramatic play, or a game of hide-and-seek, they are meeting their needs for spontaneous play. Spontaneous play is different from enrolling children in little league or signing them up for dance lessons. Children benefit most from a balance of activities adults plan and lead and activities that children plan and lead on their own.
Play can be an effective and enjoyable way for children to develop skills:
Language skills when they play name games, sing songs, and recite jump rope rhymes.
Thinking skills when they construct a block tower, follow directions to a game, and figure out pieces to a puzzle.
Small-muscle skills when they string beads, make clay figures, and cut with scissors.
Large-muscle skills when they play ball, roller skate, and run relay races.
Creative skills when they make up stories, put on a puppet show, and play with dress-ups.
Social skills when they team up to play ball games, discuss rules for a card game, and decide who will play what part in dramatic play.
It is important to remove barriers to children's opportunities to play, such as:
Too many structured activities. When their lives are overscheduled with activities, sports, and lessons, children do not have time to themselves and for unstructured play.
Too much television. When children watch too much television, their play too often mimics what they see on TV (or on the video or computer screen). TV watching also robs children of valuable time to play.
For the Older Children:
• Sport helps children and young people to grow healthily and develop personally, socially, emotionally and physically. It can provide them with opportunities to have an enormous amount of fun and increase their circle of...
Spontaneous play occurs when children do an activity freely. If children organize a ball game, dramatic play, or a game of hide-and-seek, they are meeting their needs for spontaneous play. Spontaneous play is different from enrolling children in little league or signing them up for dance lessons. Children benefit most from a balance of activities adults plan and lead and activities that children plan and lead on their own.
Play can be an effective and enjoyable way for children to develop skills:
Language skills when they play name games, sing songs, and recite jump rope rhymes.
Thinking skills when they construct a block tower, follow directions to a game, and figure out pieces to a puzzle.
Small-muscle skills when they string beads, make clay figures, and cut with scissors.
Large-muscle skills when they play ball, roller skate, and run relay races.
Creative skills when they make up stories, put on a puppet show, and play with dress-ups.
Social skills when they team up to play ball games, discuss rules for a card game, and decide who will play what part in dramatic play.
It is important to remove barriers to children's opportunities to play, such as:
Too many structured activities. When their lives are overscheduled with activities, sports, and lessons, children do not have time to themselves and for unstructured play.
Too much television. When children watch too much television, their play too often mimics what they see on TV (or on the video or computer screen). TV watching also robs children of valuable time to play.
For the Older Children:
• Sport helps children and young people to grow healthily and develop personally, socially, emotionally and physically. It can provide them with opportunities to have an enormous amount of fun and increase their circle of...