Play Time: Fun Time, Learning Time, Bonding Time!
By Henrietta Joyce

I’m sure you’ve experience this parenting dilemma. The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful, hot day. Your daughter or son is begging you to take him or her to the park but there is a pile of washing in the laundry basket, a stack of dishes in the sink and countless other chores. On the one hand you want to spend quality time with your child but on the other hand the housework has to be tackled. What is a parent to do after all play is just play or is it? In this article I will explain, that children learn through play, different types of play and their value, how play helps the development of a person from babies into adulthood and finally, how playing with your child is an opportunity for bonding, learning and fun.

What do children learn through play?

Why is play vital and why should it be encouraged? Children it is the main way that children learn, in fact for children play is work. Play helps children to communicate ideas, it allows them to develop important skills and also it excites children. Through play our children learn skills and habits that will help them develop into happy, healthy well-balanced adults. For play to be meaningful your child needs your participation sometimes. Twenty minutes a day or more will increase your children’s development. Playing with parents and carers is wonderful but playing with friends of their own age and older children is enriching and will help them learn social skills.

What are the benefits of play?

There are many ways in which children benefit from play. It has been proven by psychologists that children who do not play fail to thrive. For play to be meaningful, children need someone to play with, choice, variety and enthusiasm. The benefits of play can be seen in five areas, they are:

Physical – Developing co-ordination, physical fitness and health Social – learning about friendships, personality and emotions Emotional – practicing adult roles through role play Language – communication skills, problem solving Cognitive – through play children develop an understanding of concepts, group objects and explore different materials Children need a range of toys and materials to develop in all of the five areas.

Different types of play and their value

Play can take many different shapes and forms however your child needs a balance of all forms in order to develop into a well-rounded adult. Play type can be divided into four main areas, imaginative play, construction, creative play, physical play and board games. Through imaginative play or pretend play children dress up and act out different aspects of daily life. Children learn to tell stories and make sense of daily life experiences.

Construction play uses a variety of toys including, duplo, bricks, and magnetic blocks and also re-cycled materials such as boxes. Children love to create things out of ‘junk’; I know my two-year-old granddaughter can play for hours with large boxes. They become houses, ships, washing machines the list is endless! Construction toys help children learn about shape, colour and size, improve fine motor skills, problem solve and concentration.

Creative play covers a wide range of activities such as painting, drawing, collage (cutting, gluing and sticking), play dough and sewing. Creative play provides opportunities for children to develop manipulative skills experiment and make choices for themselves. I find that in the summer most creative activities can be relocated outside but during the winter a cheap shower curtain can protect surfaces from damage.

Imaginative play such as dressing up, playing with farms, train sets, dolls’ houses enable children to develop their imaginations. They learn how the world works as well as making up stories and re-enacting favourite tales. When Ella plays with her baby doll Amy, we have to rock Amy to sleep, feed her and bathe her. A client, Carmen learnt that playing hospitals prepared her son for a visit to the hospital. She was amazed by Sam’s confidence. Sam a quiet 6 year old talked to the Doctor as if they were old friends. Old clothes make fantastic dressing up outfits.

Physical play covers many activities, which can be indoors or outdoors. It can involve large play equipment like bikes, climbing frames, tunnels, smaller toys like bats, balls and hoops or no equipment at all. My niece loves to play hide and seek or chasing games. Physical play is not only healthy but develops large and small motor skills (necessary for muscle control), self-confidence, spatial awareness and co-operation.

Board games and playing cards such as ludo, snap, snakes and ladders provide hours of endless fun and also provide children with an opportunity to develop language skills, turn taking, sharing and how to be a good sport.

Playing with children from birth onwards

Babies respond on a very instinctive level. Play with babies from birth onwards by talking, making faces, tickling and playing peek-a-boo games.

The best way to ensure a child plays with a toy is to make it fun. If you play together with the toy he will enjoy it much more and you will increase the learning potential. Playing with your child makes him or her feel loved and special. It is important to follow your child’s lead when you are playing together and don’t worry if your child plays with the same toys over and over again because its quite normal.

How does play help children develop into well-balanced adults?

I am sure you have met and worked with people who you find difficult to get along with? It could be they lack confidence, poor communication skills or an inability to work as part of a team. Through play children learn to share and develop their sense of self. Play as I have explained offers opportunities to develop language, physical, social, emotional, creative and intellectual development which are all vital skills necessary for a productive and happy adult life.

Play is essential to a child’s develops and grows.

Playing with a wide range of toys helps children learn a wide variety her of skills that will prepare her for adulthood. Choosing the most appropriate toys for your child is quite simple. Think about safety, take into account her preferences, is it suitable for her age and will it develop a skill? Next time you are faced with the decision of whether to play with your child or complete a chore you can choose to play knowing that you are enhancing his or her development. Your enthusiastic participation will establish a special closeness that will resonate throughout both your lives.

Copyright 2006 Living Your Best Life

Henri Joyce is an experienced teacher and coaches effective parenting and parenting through divorce. She teaches a Pro-Active parenting techniques at the University Of Masters. To claim some valuable downloads and newsletters on effective parenting, you can subscribe to her popular newsletter at: http://www.effectiveparenting.co.uk or join her class at http://www.universityofmasters.com.

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A to Z – 26 Activities for You and Your Child
By Kimie Bringle

Aa…Arrange all of the clothes in your child’s closet by color, from lights to darks or to resemble a rainbow. Not only will you be teaching your child about colors and matching, it’ll give you a chance to weed out those clothes that are too small or no longer worn.

Bb…Build a playhouse out of assorted boxes. Cake boxes stacked on top of a bigger box makes for a great roof. Get creative and help your child decorate the outside of the main box with crayons, markers, or glue and bits of fabric.

Cc…Color a picture with your child. Make sure both of you sign the beautiful masterpiece before you hang it up. Be different…Maybe a purple cloud or a blue horse. Let your imagination equal your child’s.

Dd…Donate old toys and clothing to a local charity or shelter. A child is generally very giving. Let them pick out things to donate. You’ll probably be surprised at all of the items your child will gather up. Let your child know where the things are going and who will benefit from them.

Ee…Eat a meal that your child has created the menu for. One night of Spaghetti-O’s and ice cream won’t hurt. The next night, you can get silly! For example, you must eat all of your dessert before you can have any dinner. That will bring a grin to your special little one’s face.

Ff…Flowers make great collages. Collect flowers, grass and other growing pretties with your child. Then, let him/her glue them to paper or press them in a book.

Gg…Guessing games are fun and can be as imaginative as you like. Guess how many cans are in the cupboard…How many cups of water can fit into a pitcher…How many socks are in a drawer. Let your child decide what guessing game to play.

Hh…Help your child make a card or picture for someone special. Use everyday items like buttons, magazine cut outs, and bits of thread.

Ii…Ice cream sundaes can be messy, but they are always fun to make. Add a little food coloring to vanilla to create different colors. Raisins and oatmeal sprinkles make unusual toppings with a tasty flair.

Jj…Jumping rope is something not all of us have a talent for; however, there are a lot of games that you can play using a jump rope. Lay the rope on the ground and see what letters and shapes you can make with it. Maybe it’s a tightrope that you have to carefully walk across.

Kk…Keep a jar with a cover. Let your child put all the “treasures” that she/he finds into the jar. “Junk Jars” are wonderful mementos of a childhood. When it gets full just start another one. Add to it little things that you find…Earrings with no match, marbles, key chains…Anything that will fit into the jar. When your child is older, she/he will love going through it and looking at all the things that have been collected over the years.

Ll…Love your child every single day! A hug or a kiss can bring a lot of security to a child. Write a love note and put it in his/her lunch. Leave a valentine on the fridge, even if it’s not Valentine’s Day. You’ll get so much back in return.

Mm…Make a dream list with your child. Things that you and your child would like to see change, things you both want to accomplish in your lifetimes, anything that you can think of. Look at this list often with your child and see if anything has changed or been accomplished.

Nn…Notebooks are a great way to keep memories. Set aside one day each month to recap all the things that have happened. Write them down and decorate the page with a sticker or picture. The next month, look at what happened the month before and update with current happenings. Make sure you have your child’s input and point of view.

Oo…Open a savings account with your child. Many banks offer children a no fee account. Usually, there is only a one dollar opener required. When the statement comes each month, teach your child how the interest works. Go to the library and learn about it with your child if you are not sure or make an appointment to speak with a bank representative. Bank representatives will sit down with you and your child to explain the whole savings account process. Your child will learn about saving and money management. Let your child do odd jobs around the house to earn a little to put into their account. Let them do the transaction, if they are old enough to write.

Pp…Pretend that you are the child and that the child is the parent. Don’t be a perfect child though. Let your child make disciplinary decisions for something done wrong. You can learn a lot about your child when the roles are reversed.

Qq…Quiet time is wonderful! Lay down with your child and share a story or a special event from the day. Children love to talk and always want someone to listen.

Rr…Relive your childhood by telling your child stories about when you were young. Maybe you tried to dig a hole to the other side of the earth…Or maybe you thought that penguins lived in the fridge to turn out the light when you closed the door. Children love to hear stories about when their parents were young. Something you thought was devastating as a child may be hilarious to your child. Shared laughter is a special kind of love.

Ss…Silly day is a favorite with children. Start the day off by putting on clean pajamas. Do only silly things for the whole day! Have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Have dessert for lunch. Put on your regular clothes for bedtime. Let your child come up with some silly ideas too.

Tt…Teach your child a trick. Can you pull a quarter out of someone’s ear? Maybe you can touch your feet to your head. Anything that a child might be able to do is a wonderful and often funny experience. Then, let your child teach you how to do something that they know how to do. Even if you already know how to do it, let them instruct you because it will help build confidence and leadership in your child.

Uu…Use spoons to eat with all day. No matter what it is, use a spoon. A spoonful of spaghetti is a riot! Try not to serve things that are normally eaten with a spoon though. Also, make sure all items are cooled down because they are more than likely going to be dropped and spilled.

Vv…Vegetables are a great art medium. What can you make out of veggies? Carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter glue can be put together to create wonderful designs. What else can you think of to use? Ask your child what vegetables they would like to create with.

Ww…Water is great! Let your child take a plastic fireman’s helmet into the shower. It’s like playing in the rain. During the summer, a little bubble bath in a plastic wading pool makes for a great outdoor bath. Bubbles will be all over everything, much to the child’s delight.

Xx…X-ray drawings are easy to do. Some call them ‘shadow’ or ‘silhouette’ drawings. Tape a piece of paper to a wall. Then, face a lamp so that it shines on the paper. Sit in a position that puts your shadow onto the paper. Have your child trace your shadow. When the tracing is finished, have your child remove the paper from the wall and color it in. It will always be a perfect portrait when it’s done with the love and creativity of a child.

Yy…Yelling contests are a great way to let off steam and relieve stress. Stand in the back yard with your child and just scream about all the things that are really bugging you. “I don’t like having to clean my room!” can make a child feel great. “I don’t like having to pay bills!” will take the edge off of this tedious chore. This is also a way of opening up the lines of communication. Listen to what your child is yelling. Don’t lecture during a yelling contest. This is just a way of expression.

Zz…Zippers, shoelaces, snaps and buttons all help your child to develop fine motor skills. It will take practice, but your child will learn and know the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction in the end. Do not let your child get to the point of frustration. If your child starts to get aggravated, take a break! You could suggest doing something else or tell your child a story about how it took you a long time to learn a certain skill. Let your child know that you’re not perfect either and that most things take a lot of practice. Make sure you point something out that they have learned because they didn’t give up.
There are so many things that we can do with our children if we make the time. A lot of parents time is spent on important things, but five minutes here and there isn’t going to break anyone’s schedule.

Until next time…

Stay busy and hug your precious little one!

Kimie Bringle
Children’s Author
FourPoint Moms
http://kimie.fourpointmoms.com

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