The big benefits of play for our tiny explorers
We all know play is fun for our little ones, but did you know it’s also important for their growth? This year, world leaders recognised its significance with the first-ever United Nations Day of Play, highlighting how essential play is for everyone, especially kids. It helps them learn, grow, and develop social skills. This day encourages more play in schools and communities worldwide to boost well-being.
Curious about why play is such a big deal, we chatted with Liz from Explorers Learning Academy in Mittagong. Liz and her team have a wealth of experience and knowledge about what our kiddos need to thrive. She shared her insights into the different types of play and their benefits.
Take it away!
Why is Play Important?
“At Explorers, we’re thrilled that the United Nations has recognised the importance of play with a dedicated day. This aligns perfectly with our commitment to promoting children’s growth and well-being,” Liz explains.
“Play is how children learn. 90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5.”
Liz points out that play helps kids hit those important developmental milestones.
“Play helps children practise and develop skills and reach developmental milestones in their social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and psychological development. It allows them to build confidence, resilience and understand how the world works.”
The Advantages of Play
Play has tons of benefits. It helps kids:
Develop Social Skills:
Through interaction with others, children learn about sharing, cooperation, and empathy. Role-playing games like dress-ups or playing with dolls can really boost these skills.
Enhance Emotional Development:
Play helps children understand and manage their emotions, building resilience and self-regulation. Activities like naming and recognising emotions, or using puppets, can help in their emotional development.
Boost Cognitive Abilities:
Playing helps kids’ brains grow and sharpens their problem-solving skills. Reading books, playing memory games, and building stuff are great for their cognitive development.
Improve Physical Health:
Active play promotes physical fitness, coordination, and fine and gross motor skills. Liz says that balancing, dancing, catching, throwing, jumping, and climbing are all excellent for building those gross motor skills.
The Idea of Risky Play
One idea that Liz chatted to us about is “risky play,” which involves activities that allow children to take controlled risks.
“The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority estimates that currently, 1 in 10 children play outside once a week or less,” says Liz.
Risky play, like climbing trees or using tools under supervision, is important for children to understand and manage risks themselves. This type of play builds confidence, autonomy, resilience, and a sense of achievement.
“Risky play is about creating opportunities for children to engage in the benefits of play while identifying and managing hazards and risks. Children need to be able to understand and manage risks themselves. If we allow them to take these risks in a safe and considered environment, we enable them to develop skills, build confidence, autonomy, resilience, and a sense of achievement,” Liz adds.
Risky play can be split into 8 types. Playing at heights like climbing trees, going fast with bike riding or sliding, using tools like screwdrivers or hammers [under supervision obvs], playing with potentially dangerous stuff like water, rough and tumble play like wrestling, playing with the risk of disappearing or getting lost such as hide and seek, play involving impacts like jumping off things, and vicarious play, where younger kids watch older kids do risky play before trying it themselves.
“When children are involved in risky play it is always important to assess the risks before and during the play. Are the risks high? Can we reduce the risk? Is it age and developmentally appropriate?” Liz points out.
Different Types of Play: Unstructured and Structured
“There are many different types of play. However, structured vs. unstructured play is often discussed amongst professionals in the early childhood sector,” says Liz.
Both types have unique benefits:
Structured Play: Involves games with rules or sequences, such as obstacle courses or ball games. These activities are often planned by parents or educators to teach specific skills, like gross motor skills or turn-taking.
Unstructured Play: allows children to experiment and explore based on their interests.
Liz explains, “A parent or educator can set up an environment with open-ended resources such as pieces of bamboo in a sandpit, or a selection of animals, and leaves with play dough. This type of play allows children to use their imagination and the resources in a way they choose.”
We love it!
The Evolution of Play Stages
“Play evolves as kids grow,” adds Liz.
It starts with unoccupied play, where babies stretch, kick, and watch. This is just their natural way of exploring. Next is solitary play, where kids play alone, which is totally normal and a part of development. Then there’s spectator play, where kids watch others play, which is also essential for learning social and language skills. Around 2.5 to 3 years, they start parallel play, playing side by side with other kids and sometimes copying what they see. By about 3 years old, they move into associative play, where they start interacting more, sharing, and working together in imaginative ways. Finally, around 4 years, they get into cooperative play, where they follow rules and take on specific roles with other kids.
Play Ideas to Encourage Development
Liz shared some fun play ideas that can help your little one in different developmental areas:
Social Skills:
Role-playing games like dress-ups or playing with dolls, and turn-taking games such as ball games or board games.
Emotional Development/Self-regulation:
Activities like naming and recognizing emotions, using puppets, or practising yoga.
Fine Motor Skills:
Threading, gripping a pencil, playdough, scissor skills, or using stickers.
Gross Motor Skills:
Balancing, dancing, catching, throwing, jumping, and climbing.
Cognitive Development:
Reading books together, playing memory games, cooking, construction, and mixing and measuring activities.
Play at Explorers Learning Academy
At Explorers Learning Academy, kids get to join in on all kinds of play.
“Through observations and conversations with families, we determine children’s needs and interests to plan and develop programs and play experiences,” Liz explains.
Here are some ways play is encouraged at Explorers Learning Academy:
Daily Routines:
Set to encourage self-help skills, positive interactions, and autonomy.
PALS Social Skills Program:
A daily part of the preschool program focusing on greetings, turn-taking, sharing, identifying feelings, empathy, managing frustration, and speaking up.
Outdoor and Indoor Play:
Large outdoor areas for running, riding, jumping, and climbing, and indoor environments with resources that support children’s interests and play needs.
Engagement with Nature:
Activities like taking care of a rabbit and vegetable gardens, teach respect for the environment and early science concepts.
Community Participation:
Regular walks and visits to local shops and return and earn stations to help children learn about and participate in their local community.
Liz mentions, “We aim to work with families in holistically developing the children’s skills through play and ensuring they feel safe, secure, and supported in the process.”
Play is a powerful tool for learning and development in early childhood.
“Play isn’t just about having fun, it’s part of setting kids up for their future. By mixing in all kinds of play, including those adventurous risky activities, and providing a supportive environment, we help kids reach their full potential. As kids grow, their play evolves, bringing new chances to learn and develop. So let’s embrace the amazing impact of play on our kids’ lives!”
We couldn’t agree more, Liz.
Explorers Learning Academy are dedicated to providing a fun and engaging learning space for our little ones with the highest level of care.
To learn more about this dedicated early learning centre click here.
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