THE VALUE OF PLAY

 
Play Today

You say you love your children,
And are concerned they learn today?
So am I - that's why I'm providing
A variety of kinds of play.
You're asking me the value
Of blocks and other such play?
You're children are solving problems.
They will use that skill everyday.
You're asking what's the value
Of having your children play?
Your daughter's creating a tower;
She may be a builder someday.
You're saying you don't want your son
To play in that "sissy" way?
He's learning to cuddle a doll;
He may be a father someday.
You're questioning the interest centers;
They just look like useless play?
Your children are making choices;
They'll be on their own someday.
You're worried your children aren't learning;
And later they'll have to pay?
They're learning a pattern for learning;
For they'll be learners always
Leila P. Fagg


Parents often feel that their children are not learning anything when they are "just playing."  
However, this is part of your child's learning experience. 
There are lots of wonderful  things learned when they are playing.

WHEN YOUR CHILD BUILDS WITH BLOCKS:
She learns to use her imagination to create something from her own thinking.
She has the satisfaction of being able to make something.
She learns about sizes and shapes, weights and balances, height and depth, smoothness and roughness.
She is exercising her body.
She learns to play with others.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PAINTS:
He is more concerned with the process he is going through than with a finished product.
This is how it should be for this stage in his development.
He learns about colors and how he can use them.
He learns to use his imagination and transfers his ideas to paper.
He gets emotional satisfaction from being able to express himself.
He learns how to use small muscle coordination to handle a brush.
He learns to make choices and decisions.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS ON THE OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT:
She learns how to use her body effectively.
She experiences joy in achieving a skill.
She has fun and relaxation found in bodily movement.
She learns the limitations of her body.
She learns safety and caution.
She learns to take turns and to share a piece of equipment.

 
WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS IN THE HOUSEKEEPING CORNER:
He learns what the roles of mothers and fathers and children are.
He understands what it feels like to play at being somebody other than himself.
He learns how to use his imagination.
He learns how to cooperate with other children.

WHEN YOUR CHILD MAKES A GIFT OUT OF PAPER AND PASTE:
She learns about doing things for others.
She learns how to use materials like scissors and paste/glue.
She learns how to use her imagination to make the kind of present she has in mind.
Again, the process, not the finished product, is important to her.
She learns about shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.


WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS IN THE SAND
He finds it soothing to bury his hands in sand  and pour sand in and out of cups, buckets and other containers.
He is able to relax with these types of media and center his attention on a task.
He has an opportunity to play alone and not have to compete with other children as with some activities.
This is especially important to a child who has trouble getting along with others.
He has a great opportunity to learn about size and measurement, experimenting with measuring spoons,
cups and different sized containers.
He is not concerned with a final product so he does not find it frustrating.


WHEN YOUR CHILD WORKS WITH PUZZLES:
She has an opportunity to work alone or together with other children
She gains satisfaction in completing a puzzle and builds her self-confidence.
She has an opportunity to improve her hand eye coordination.
She will use skills learned in doing puzzles later when she learns to read-putting letters to sounds,
 making words with letters, and making stories with words.

WHEN YOUR CHILD LISTENS TO STORIES OR LOOKS AT BOOKS:
He learns to listen.
He has an opportunity to increase his vocabulary by hearing new words read to him.
He learns about different concepts, people and places.
He learns to enjoy books and reading.
His mind is stimulated, visualizing the things he is hearing about.

WHEN YOUR CHILD COOKS:
She learns to follow directions.
She stimulates and uses all five senses.
She learns to recognize colors and shapes from different kinds of foods and kitchen utensils.
She has an opportunity to use different tools and equipment to improve small muscle coordination.

WHEN YOUR CHILD LISTENS TO MUSIC, SINGS OR DANCES:
He learns to appreciate music from different countries, cultures, and time periods.
He learns to express himself and his ideas.
He increases his vocabulary.
He gains satisfaction from participating in an activity that can be fun, physical and/or enriching.

WHEN YOUR CHILD USES MANIPULATIVE ACTIVITIES:
She explores new concepts, practices emerging skills, and reinforces skills already mastered.
She develops fine motor practice.
She learns about classifying, sorting, predicting, problem solving, and analyzing results.
She develops her knowledge of the world around her using real objects and concrete examples.


WHEN YOUR CHILD USES TECHNOLOGY AND/OR COMPUTERS:
He learns how machines work and how they can help him learn more.
He practices hand eye coordination using the mouse.
He is able to learn the processes necessary to use technology.
He learns how to express his ideas through technology and share his ideas with others.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS WITH PUPPETS:
She is able to verbalize her feelings using words.
She can begin to understand the feelings of others.
She can role-play and perhaps find solutions to situations that may disturb her.
She stretches her imagination.

Value of Play Poem
There's Nothing in My Bag Today
Today I did my  math and science:
I toasted bread,
I halved and quartered.
I counted, measured,
Used my eyes and ears and head.
I added and subtracted on the way,
I used a magnet, blocks and memory tray.
I learned about a rainbow and how to weigh.
So please don't say, "Is anything in your bag today?"
You see, I'm sharing as I play.
I learned to listen,
And speak clearly when I talk,
To wait my turn, and when inside to walk,
To put my thoughts into a phrase,
To guide a crayon through a maze,
To find my name and right it down,
To work with a smile and not a frown.,
To put my pasting brush away,
So please don't say, "Is anything in your bag today?"
I've learned about a snail and a worm,
Remembering how to take my turn,
Helped a friend learn when he was stuck,
Learned that water runs off a duck.
I looked at words from left to right,
Agreed to differ, not to fight.
So please don't say, "Did you only play today?"

Author unknown

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