Learn by Playing
When kids play freely, their minds open up. Look at these five ways to learn by playing and start playing with your kids at home.
Exercise the mind: Playing games helps exercise the mind. We think about solutions and we begin to see all the different perspectives of the situations we create. When kids play, they use their imagination, and parents can enjoy this window to their inner world: their emotions, their thoughts, their ideas and everything that occurs in the moment.
A good idea for adults: Playing with your kids is a great way to exercise the imagination – not only for theirs, but yours too. This is a good way to train your brain and keep it in good shape. When you play, stop being an adult and follow the instructions your child gives you. Have fun!
Make your own decisions: Every time kids play, they feel the need to decide whether they will move the car to the left or to the right, and whether the doll will drink tea or go have fun with her friends. Even though this can be rather trivial for adults, the truth is that from the children’s perspective, they are making big decisions. When we make decisions, we become responsible for the future and the consequences of our choices. So, when children play, they begin to make contact with the weight of their decisions.
A good idea for adults: If your little ones don’t ask for your advice, then don’t interfere with the decisions they make in their games. Let them explore and see what they are capable of..
Socialize with similar people: At the park, on the playground and in preschool, kids are surrounded by people who are just like them. When they play together, they learn to socialize. This marvelous process begins when they first meet, and afterward, children learn what they can and cannot share, and they begin to put up boundaries. They learn how to respect both others and themselves.
A good idea for adults: If there is no need for adult intervention, then it is best to let children solve minor issues on their own.
They get to know the world around them: Playing presents an opportunity to learn new things. When we are capable of uniting a specific theme with a game and making kids use their imagination, we can teach them these lessons.
A good idea for adults: Elaborate ideas aren’t always necessary. Games like “I Spy” are very helpful when it comes to teaching basic language and vocabulary skills!
They feel capable: When kids are autonomous in their games, they discover their own capabilities. They will find that they can glide long distances, balance on their own on the swing or remove objects from a box. This reinforces the fact that kids are very capable of overcoming minor challenges.
A good idea for the adults: Sometimes the older people have certain fears, but if their is a secure space for kids the ideal is that the adults offer there help to support and assist them, the less restrictive adults are the better will be the children’s capabilities of exploring.
Learn more by playing on the new Juana la Iguana app.
