How Activities Help Your Child
You will not find any traditional academic rote-learning exercises in this book. But don't worry — neither you nor your child will miss them. Just about every activity described here is aimed to help your child develop in at least one critical area, and all of them are simply fun!
Play is the work of young children. Through play activities, your child is exploring and discovering. Play is the most effective and powerful way for young children to learn. Some scientists have found evidence that play can sculpt the brain and build denser webs of neural connections. When children play, they literally exercise their brain cells and make them expand and grow — a physical development that happens as your child learns. Play activities engage your child and help her develop many skills, including vocabulary, problem solving, reading preparation, math comprehension, social skills, and more!
Are all play activities of equal value?
No. Although structured recreational activities and games do have value, the best activities are open-ended. Allow time for your child to choose and create her own play scenarios. She will benefit the most when she has the opportunity to explore the themes and ideas that are most important and relevant to her.
There are many different types of play activities, and each type addresses certain skills and promotes development. Here are just a few examples:
Cooking: Develops math skills (counting and measuring), nutrition, and science concepts (prediction, cause and effect).
Art: Develops creativity, emotional expression, symbolic epresentation, fine-motor skills, large motor skills, cooperation, and spatial concepts.
Pretend play: Develops social skills (cooperation, turn-taking, and sharing), language and vocabulary development, imagination, and emotional expression.
Puzzles: Develops problem solving, abstract reasoning, shape recognition, and spatial concepts.
Block building: Develops a foundation for more advanced science comprehension including gravity, stability, weight, and balance.
