Play is the Work of Children
Interesting fact for parents- research indicates that by the time a child turns 5 years old, approximately 90% of their brain has developed! What can we do to support this critical period, which sets the foundation for successful lifelong development?
Well, as mentioned by the famous child psychologist Jean Piaget, play is a child’s work!
Which is why, the educators at the Early Years Centre (EYC) at Garden International School (GIS), emphasise learning through play in both indoor and outdoor settings, with their focus on the three Prime Areas below. We share with you their expert guide on how we as parents can also contribute to our child’s development through play.
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Social and Emotional Development
Early childhood is pivotal for shaping a child’s self-identity, emotional regulation and social skills. Play provides a natural environment for exploring emotions, relationships, and social norms. It offers ample opportunities to share, take turns and navigate social situations, laying a strong groundwork for positive relationships, effective communication, and emotional well-being.
What you can do:
Stories and Songs: Incorporate stories and songs that explore emotions so children will have a chance to relate to different characters and situations. Storytelling can be a powerful tool for discussing complex emotions in a relatable context. Discuss the characters’ feelings, and use these stories as a platform for conversation about emotions.
Family Circle/Wind Down Time: GIS holds circle time and small group sessions which provide structured opportunities for children to express their emotions, share experiences, and learn from each other in a supportive environment. Parents can create similar sessions in the house as a daily bedtime routine- a great way to help kids debrief their day and wind down before bed.
Role Play Games: Did your child have a full blown tantrum when his baby sister knocked over their carefully built blocks? Role play his favourite teddy going through the same scenario, using clear labels for emotions and showing positive ways on handling the situation. Role playing is a simple way to help children safely navigate different scenarios, allowing them to practice empathy, cooperation and understanding various perspectives.
Useful Framework and Approach:
At GIS, children participate in daily emotional check-ins using the Zones of Regulation framework. This practice involves discussing feelings, identifying where they feel emotions in their bodies and developing strategies to regulate emotions. Parents can introduce these zones to help children understand and express their emotions. This topic has been explored in our previous article here.
The Restorative Behaviour Approach is also used in dealing with conflicts at the EYC. This involves discussing what happened, why it happened, how each person felt, exploring alternative actions and working collaboratively to make amends. The approach not only addresses conflicts but also teaches children problem-solving skills and the importance of understanding others’ perspectives. If you are facing sibling rivalry at home, try this method to resolve conflict and repair harm by talking to everyone involved, getting them to explain their feelings and reasons for behaving the way they did.
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Physical Development
Early childhood is a critical period for physical development, including the growth of gross motor skills (GMS) and fine motor skills (FMS). A child’s physical well-being during this time can influence their health and abilities in later life. GIS supports the development of GMS and FMS with both free play and adult-led activities (e.g. Time spent in the EYC gym, soft play or prepared apparatus, weekly PE lessons focusing on a specific skill and additional intervention to target specific needs). Resources around the unit also provide children with countless opportunities to practice their FMS through crafts, play dough, sand or water play. All of these can be easily replicated at home, and here are the experts’ suggestions on specific play activities for the home:
For Gross Motor Skills:
For Fine Motor Skills:
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Communication and Language Development
The early years are also a sensitive period for language acquisition, fundamental for cognitive and social growth, literacy and academic success. Play supports language development by providing opportunities for vocabulary expansion and communication. Activities like storytelling, role-playing and interactive games also foster language acquisition and communication skills.
What you can do:
Create a Literature-Rich Environment: At the EYC, books are readily available and accessible in various areas of the learning environment to encourage spontaneous exploration and engagement. Written words and print in different forms are displayed across the learning spaces to help children make connections between spoken and written language. You can do the same in your home too! Don’t just confine books to a single bookshelf in the playroom. Offer a variety of books that are accessible throughout the entire home, create cosy reading corners, and get written words and prints up around the house.
Cultivate a Reading Culture: Reading aloud to your kid doesn’t have to be just a pre-bedtime activity. Make reading fun and work in read-alouds throughout the day. Read aloud signs you see, sneak in some books when you are waiting for appointments together or listen to audiobooks during car rides. Fostering a culture where reading is celebrated and valued creates a positive atmosphere for literacy development.
Library Excursions: Why not have fun-filled weekly or monthly excursions to the library? The whole family can enjoy the range of books available, and it’s also a great chance to expose your kids to other languages and prints that you may not have at home. For example, GIS library sessions are available in both English and Mandarin, which exposes children to a bilingual reading experience, supporting language development in multiple languages.
Make Play a Part of Daily Life
As parents, integrating purposeful play activities as part of your child’s daily life will support development in a fun and effective way. Embedding learning concepts into play activities allows children to learn in a purposeful and contextual manner, making connections between abstract ideas and everyday experiences. That said, this certainly doesn’t mean that play has to be guided or planned all the time! There are a host of benefits of free, open-ended play. Here are some strategies on what parents can do throughout the day to actively support the development of their child at home.
Provide ample time and space: Provide your child with lots of time and space for exploration to give time for curiosity, creativity and the development of critical thinking skills.
Use “I wonder” statements: Try using the “I wonder” statements, which focuses on playful exploration rather than asking close-ended questions. This sparks curiosity in the world around them, without putting the child in a “fight or flight mode”, and develops deep and meaningful learning. For example, “”I wonder why birds build nests in trees instead of on the ground.”
Make learning fun: Write shopping lists together and play word, board, or number games. There are also lots of ways to turn everyday mundane chores into fun playful activities with opportunities for learning. Learning through play makes it enjoyable and memorable.
Provide problem solving opportunities: There are lots of ‘problems’ we face in our daily lives. Include your kids in helping you solve these mini problems! For example, when planning your grocery shopping list, discuss how many more bananas are needed if you have four bananas but need five.
Organise playdates and group activities: Arrange playdates and group activities to encourage social interaction. These experiences help children develop and practise social skills in a supportive and safe setting.
Spot print and numbers outdoors: While out and about, encourage children to spot print and numbers in the environment. For example, while at a restaurant, you can play a game of who can spot the most alphabet “A” in the menu.
Encourage reflection: Have reflective discussions after engaging in play activities. Ask open-ended questions to encourage your child to express their thoughts and share what they’ve learned.
Remember that the environment is the third teacher: Create an environment with age-appropriate resources and opportunities for open-ended activities, where there’s no fear of making mistakes but where challenges are meaningful and require thoughtful engagement. Toys that can be played with in multiple and varied ways include peg dolls, plain wooden blocks and magnetic tiles.
Finally, engage in play activities with your child where they take the lead based on their interests. They’ll invite you to participate if and when they want you involved, and they’ll appreciate your involvement in their world. Resist the urge to impose questions or trying to bring ‘learning’ into play when it is not a natural part of the activity! Children have a natural inclination to learn and experiment with skills they’re practicing, so don’t worry! Let them guide the way, embracing their interests and allowing the joy of discovery to unfold naturally. Savour these precious moments of play, relish in the shared laughter, and watch as your child’s world becomes a place where play and learning intertwine seamlessly.
Excited to learn more about how your child can grow and develop at GIS? Don’t miss out on their their upcoming Open Days on 20th February 2024 at the Main Campus and 27th February 2024 at their Early Years Centre, or schedule a school tour where you can learn more about the school, teachers and their holistic learning approach, and enjoy exclusive discounts*. Register now as slots are limited!
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