Just like learning, play plays a great role in the daily lives of individuals. Whether for an adult or even a kid, play plays a significant part in our lives. Simply put, play is childhood language and how kids communicate with parents and interact with other kids. At first glance, it may appear that play can be disregarded in place of academics, however, one must understand that children learn from playing. This is why play plays a significant role in shaping a child’s physical, emotional, moral, and cognitive development. Believe it or not, simply playing cricket or a game of tennis can play a vital role in improving motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Both are required for daily tasks at work and home. Did you know that while walking up and down the stairs, you need proper motor skills and hand-eye coordination? Thus, simple tasks can be enhanced by playing games and other playful activities. Before we delve deeper into observing children playing and why observation is important, let’s first take a look at what is ‘play’ from the perspective of a child.
What Is Play?
Play is nothing but engaging in certain games and activities that can help develop and improve a child’s skills. In today’s world, many researchers have even identified many benefits linked to games and education. This is why there are educational games and games have been included in the purview of a tool of education. Simple games tend to engage kids and help them study better. Did you know that even most life lessons are taught on the playground? Values like sportsmanship, empathy, kindness and love can be brilliantly demonstrated through a fair game of football. There is no doubt that games play a vital role in moulding a child and transforming him into a healthy and responsible citizen.
Benefits Of Play
Before delving into an ocean without any safety gear, let’s have a look at the benefits of play before we understand and study the need for observing kids at play. You might be wondering if there are a few or any benefits of play for kids. Thankfully for you, we’re here to tell you that there are in fact, many benefits of play for kids.
- Physical development
- Cognitive development
- Social development
- Emotional development
This is perhaps one of the most obvious benefits of play for kids. As kids engage in playing games, they engage in physical activity that is vital to their growth and development from a physical standpoint. When engaging in simple playful activities involving skipping, running and jumping, children are not only developing gross motor skills and coordination but are also strengthening their muscles, joints and bones. In the long run, kids who engage in many physical activities from a young age are less prone to cardiovascular disease in the future. However, the onus falls on the parents and caregivers to promote and encourage a safe atmosphere for play.
It’s not an uncommon fact that children learn from their environment and immediate surroundings. It is through play that curiosity, creativity, imagination, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are developed and sharpened. Indoor as well as outdoor play both contribute to facilitating speedy cognitive development in tiddlers. Playing with building blocks or kicking a ball at a playground all contribute to the development of cognition in your little ones. By providing them with opportunities and ground rules, they not only become more aware but also more responsible. This sense of responsibility can only come from those who understand, and understanding only comes to those who have achieved a certain level of cognitive development.
Taking your kids to a playground and exposing tahem to various other children and games, develops their social skills. This plays a vital role in determining how your kid will grow up to be. It is a good idea to expose them to different social play setups to ensure that when they grow up, they become accustomed to it and social interaction. While you must keep a watchful eye over your kid, it is also important for you to leave him or her to explore for themselves at the playground.
Managing one’s emotions has become a matter of great concern in the world in which we presently live. One of the major reasons for this is because suicide rates are soaring high., However, through play, if we teach our kids to manage pressure, we could change the trajectory of where life is headed for future generations. On the field and playground, kids can be taught to celebrate victories and also accept defeat. Part of life is learning to accept failure and move on. If this is inculcated in the life of a kid as early as possible, children will be equipped with the tools to better manage emotions better in life.
Why Observation Is Important?
Now that you have a good idea of what play for kids entails and why kids need to be exposed to it from as young as possible, we can come to the last part of our article and understand why observation of children at play is important. Observing children’s play allows us, as parents, to understand more about our kids. We learn about their likes and dislikes. We also come to know about their hidden talents. Oftentimes, children are too timid to tell their parents what they are good at doing. In such cases, parents get a good idea of what their kids can excel at in the future.
It also gives parents and caregivers a better understanding of how their kids are developing mentally, physically, emotionally and socially. Play can also be used as an important factor in determining kids with learning disabilities. This is why it is so crucial to keep an eye on your kids and observe them while playing. The next time you see your child playing, try to remember some of the points discussed in the article and you may just come across something you may have accidentally overlooked in the past.
EuroKids is a haven for kids to learn, play and grow into responsible adults that parents can be proud of. Our teams of experts blend academics with moral values and games to engage kids and stir curiosity and thirst for knowledge within them. Children learn a lot from their immediate surroundings and we try to make the most of that to engage mind, body and soul to yield the best results possible. If you want to learn more about how your child can benefit from play, make sure to visit our blog or better yet, visit us at our nearest centre to you.
