Developing through play

Developing Through
Play

CHILDWISE by RUTH LIEW

"Children need non-structured toys such as blocks, crayons and paper, play costumes, balls and empty boxes. These allow them to explore and experiment.

They will use their language skills to communicate and feel encouraged to try out new ways of doing things. They don't need to cram their minds with information." Ruth Liew

PLAY is fun.
Children need to play as much as they need food, shelter and clean air. Children do not need to cram their minds with information.

When they play, they learn to be resourceful
and seek out the right kind of information for
use in their play.

In many homes today, children have more toys than their parents ever did but sadly, the toys are mostly remote-controlled or high-tech in nature. The places they play in are limited and structured.

By the time they reach school age, children play only games arranged by their schools or clubs. They hardly make up their own games or play freely with their friends.

Play spaces at home, usually arranged by adults, have stuffed animals, board games and store-bought toys all kept in plastic storage boxes. Some, kept high up on the shelves, are inaccessible to young children.

They have to rely on adults to get the toys. When adults take over what children can do for themselves, they will lose opportunities to be creative and imaginative. A suitable play space for children is a brightly lit room with washable furniture and a few labelled boxes of playthings.

Children don't need many toys to play.
Keep the ones that are unstructured and have multiple use in low shelves or baskets on the floor. Children can use them in their spontaneous play.

Index - Nurturing the thinking child

Your Kids can, if you let them think they can!

The road to change

Echo of Life

Touched by an Angel

Dad, I'm thinking of something

The touch of the master's hands

Give your child the reason to say; Why not?

Peer Pressure by Dr Teoh Hsien-jin

Memory, the cement of learning

A guide to brain-based learning

Exercise, movement and learning

The Defiant child by Dr Teoh Hsien-jin

Stress and Motivation in Learning

Developing Through Play

An uncluttered room will make them more interested in playing creatively. When they have few choices and a large space to play in, they will make better decisions. Instead of placing all the toys in the play space, parents can rotate them to ensure variety.

This way, the children will find the toys new
and exciting when they are brought out again.

Children need play mates. They copy from each other and make up stories to tell each other. With other children, they exchange funny quips that only those at the same stage of development will enjoy. Children develop great sense of humour through play.

American child development expert, Dr Kathy Hirsh-Pasek who co-wrote; Einstein Never Used Flashcards encourage parents to be wary of the so-called expensive "smart toys" that only seek single answers or one type of response from children.

Many are inappropriate for children's development. These toys are programmed with functions that require them to follow prepared instructions. Many experts concur with Hirsh-Pasek that such electronically programmed toys make children sit for long hours and inhibit their active learning skills.

Children need non-structured toys such as blocks, crayons and paper, play costumes, balls and empty boxes. These allow them to explore and experiment. They will use their language skills to communicate and feel encouraged to try out new ways of doing things.

In their self-initiated play activities, children will push the boundaries to discover what they need to learn.

Research from Finland (2005) found that for optimal brain development, children's play spaces need to be in the outdoors. Unfortunately, this is not to be for many of our children.

Any free time available, they are packed off to attend classes to master more academic skills so that they can score better in tests. Outdoor play is often neglected and the last on parents' priority list.

Playing in the outdoors require children to use more gross motor skills than their small motor skills. It enhances their mental and emotional health as well as their physical well-being.

Anyone observing children playing and rolling down a slope can tell how much fun they are having. Children do not really mind a few grazed knees or bruised arms. They build their confidence learning and managing themselves when they play in the wonders of nature.

Parents have to support children's play and allow them more time to do what is right for them. We need to bring back playing with friends in the neighbourhood rather than keeping our children indoors.

We need to make our outdoors safe for children to play in, and give our children toys that are safe and simple for them to make many wonderful discoveries.

When planning for children's play, parents should remember what Einstein once said;
"Play is the highest form of research."

Acknowledgment of information source: L I F E S T Y L E
Parenting T9 Startwo, Thursday December 7, 2006, Article Childwise by Ruth Liew

Children need to play as much as they need food, shelter and clean air. Children do not need to cram their minds with information.

Kids hand crafted ceramic coin box

Parents have to support children's play and allow them more time to do what is right for them.

When it comes to creativity! Mum & Dad could get some new ideas.... from me!

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