Make Time To PLAY

With life being so busy, I thought it would good to remind everyone about the benefits of play.  Make sure that you incorporate time in your schedule to relax, have fun, and PLAY.  Feel free to share with your friends, neighbors, and teachers!

Emotional benefits include…

• enjoyment, fun, love of life
• relaxation, release of energy, tension reduction
• self-expression

Developmental benefits include…

Cognitive development:

• creativity
• abstract thinking
• imagination
• problem-solving
• social cognition, empathy, perspective-taking
• mastering new concepts

Affective development:

• self-confidence
• self-esteem
• anxiety reduction
• therapeutic effects

Social development:

• cooperation
• sharing
• turn-taking
• conflict resolution
• leadership skill development (control of impulses and aggressive behavior)

Physical development:

• gross motor experiences
• fine motor experiences
• physical challenges
• self-help skills

Attentional development:

• attention regulation
• concentration
• persistence

Language development:

• communication skills
• vocabulary
• story telling
• emergent literacy

Educational benefits include…

• providing a meaningful context for children to learn concepts and skills;
• making learning fun and enjoyable;
• encouraging children to explore and discover together and on their own;
• allowing children to extend what they are learning;
• encouraging children to experiment and take risks;
• providing opportunities for collaborative learning with adults and peers;
• allowing for the practice of skills.