Some of you may have noticed that our new tag line for the preschool is: "Where Play has a Purpose." This concept is very dear to my heart, as one of the greatest joys in life comes from the experience that children discover through play. What is the definition of play? Play is defined as an activity that is freely chosen, child-directed, and self-motivated. Fortunately, NCCNS celebrates play as an integral part of childhood.
What are the benefits of play? Research suggests a strong link between play and cognitive development.Play is also a factor in improving attention, creativity, imagination, memory, and many other skills critical for learning. Most of the social and intellectual skills one needs to succeed in life and work are developed through childhood play. Scientists believe it is also a crucial factor in children’s overall well-being.
Creative play takes center stage at NCCNS every day. As you enter the classroom, you will notice that each of the centers are set up with engaging materials and manipulatives that provide open-ended experiences for your children. Our teachers know that children learn best when they are able to construct their own knowledge.I am always amazed by the "airports" on the block rug, the "soup" being made with beans at the sensory table and how magnet blocks become “rocket ships with scientists inside.” The other two things I notice are that the teachers facilitate the play by asking open-ended questions, and I also notice that every student is happily engaged.
Unfortunately, it seems as if play is becoming a "lost art." Many schools have shortened recess to allow for more instructional time. The amount of time for children to have unstructured playtime has dramatically decreased in the past ten years. In a recent NY Times article entitled: "An Effort to Restore Children's Play Gains Momentum" by Hilary Stout, the author states that: "Parents are actually afraid of letting their children have unstructured time at home that is not goal-specific. While the intentions to enrich children's lives with music classes, sports leagues and private lessons are admirable, I think that allowing a child to engage in non-directed activities produces many benefits."
As parents, how do we facilitate unstructured play without too much intervention? One way is to provide a variety of open ended materials such as blocks, legos trains, old clothes, shoes and handbags for dramatic play. Recycled paper and fabric scraps can be collected in a big box for making collages. In addition to providing these materials, parents may also have to tolerate a little more unpredictability in the house. My daughters recently created a fort using all of the towels from the linen closet. All I can say about that is- it’s a good thing that I am so invested in the art of creative play!
During the summer months, your children will hopefully have many opportunities for unstructured play. Remember how important it is to just have fun. By making sure these opportunities exist for your children, you will inadvertently provide them with a love of learning. In addition, try to find the time to play with your child. But when you do join in your child's play, let him/her take the lead. Children develop healthy self-esteem when parents respect their imaginary play and allow them to be in charge. You will also find out a great deal about how your child thinks and feels. The most valuable part of this collaboration is that when you enter a child’s world on their terms, you create memories that last a lifetime.
Enjoy every minute.