A world of imagination
I write here on the blog about the importance of play in a child’s world. Play is one of the most critical elements of early development and “play” is what kids enjoy naturally. The benefits of play-based learning are well established. Play encourages language and conversation which is an important foundation for literacy. It also helps build confidence and important social skills. And play develops and fosters imagination, creativity and self-expression. Essential life skills are learned through play, and that this cannot be undervalued. Most importantly, play is fun. And kids need a lot of it.
I am a big advocate of play-based learning in preschool and at home. And my favourite kind is the free, “unstructured” (read: unsupervised) play. I love observing my kids immersed in imaginative play, acting out their own narrative. Role playing “mums and dads” is their favourite game and can be quite, er, “revealing”. When my kids were very young I tired of floor play easily. Puzzles were not my thing and let’s face it, stacking up cups and knocking them down again wears thin pretty quickly (for the parents, that is)!…