The Importance of Play
Play is a child’s work; their way of learning. Through their play, children develop sensory motor control, eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. Physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development are all enhanced through play.
Research has shown that play:
- enhances a child’s language development,
- encourages thinking, creativity and problem solving,
- provides opportunities for children to represent their thinking,
- acts as a basis for learning in literacy, numeracy, and other curricular areas,
- develops higher motivation to learn, and higher self-esteem,
- nourishes natural curiosity and supports overall healthy development
Ways Children Learn
In the classroom you will see children learning:
- through physical movement, music, the arts, and activity
- through hands-on activities
- to make thoughtful choices
- to accept responsibility for their actions
- to accept and respect others
- by talking and playing with materials and each other
- to be comfortable and confident in a larger social group
- to co-operate, share, and take turns with classmates
- by using literacy and numeracy skills throughout the day
- by experimenting with print in a variety of playful ways
| big blocks |
playdough | |
| listening centre |
puzzles | |