The Genius of Using the Play Zone to Help Children
Children learn about the world, themselves, and each other through play. It is an integral part of a child’s healthy development, akin to eating vegetables, reading books, and getting a good night’s sleep. Even the United Nations enlists playing as one of the basic rights of a child.
According to experts at The Genius of Play - an organization that raises awareness about the importance of play for children - active free play is crucial, as it helps kids hone their gross motor and fine walk skills, while simultaneously building social skills and nurturing creativity. So, truth be told, there is no alternative to play for children. In this blog, we will check out some of the ways by which children can benefit from the play zone.
Importance of Play for Children: Top 4 Reasons
Cognitive Growth
Play time facilitates cognitive growth, and thereby brain development. Unstructured play is the time when kids direct their own play. They are not restricted by schedules or activities curated by adults. Thus, unstructured play helps a child’s brain develop in positive ways. The advantages include an improvement and increase in neural connections, which are the paths in the brain used for thinking. In addition, unstructured playtime also establishes and polishes the prefrontal cortex of a child’s brain. It is that area of the brain that influences the way a child learns, solves problems, and gains knowledge about the environment.
Nurturing Creativity and Imagination
Another reason why children should spend an ample amount of time in the play zone is because it is a way for children to expand their horizons and imaginations. Kids create make-believe games or are immersed in their imaginary worlds. In addition, during unstructured play time, children also devise different solutions, something that works wonders in boosting confidence. As such, the culmination is that playtime prepares children to navigate life and relationships.
Improvement in Learning
Playtime also enhances a child’s linguistic abilities. Children are inherently wired to learn languages. From birth, they build languages and literary skills through play and interactions. By being in the playzone, children can practice back and forth conversation, even if they cannot speak properly. Make-believe stories, reading tales, or sharing stories with others can make a mile of a difference in a child’s communication abilities.
Enhancement in Physical Fitness
Last but not least, childhood is the time where kids must be active. Children have a very strong requirement for physical play, which can be any kind of game or play that keeps them moving. Regular play has phenomenal physical benefits, such as -
Increase in cardiovascular function
Sharpening of reflexes
Greater muscle development
Improvement in bone density
Development of greater balance and more
So, there we have it, a crisp overview on how the play zone can be leveraged to ensure robust and all-round development of every child. In today’s day and age, when sedentary lifestyles even plague children, it is crucial to go the extra mile and ensure that kids get enough time for physical play and symbolic play!