Learning through play
At two to four years of age, your little pre-schooler is absorbing information like a sponge1. Every single moment can be a learning opportunity for them, and that includes their play time! So why not make use of it? Learning as they play will help them retain information about their surroundings, think creatively, and also understand their potential.
To illustrate, an article in The Straits Times mentioned that giving children set tasks like sorting blocks by colour can only allow for one result. Allowing children to group the blocks by size, shape, texture…or even creating something new, will instead enable children to think creatively.
What kind of activities can children engage in during play time?
As parents, we usually classify play activities as outdoor and indoor activities. However, did you know that there are actually more than just two types? We’ve got a list below, and each of them has a role in developing varied aspects of your child’s development – from cognitive and physical, to emotional, behavioural, and social skills.
Here are the different kinds of play, according to the Queensland (Australia) Department of Education and Training:
- Dramatic: These are pretend games that mimic what kids observe in everyday life, like cooking, going on a vacation, and so forth. These kinds of games helps them explore the different roles of other people in the family or community, as well as strengthen their social skills.
- Exploratory: Here, the kids explore and manipulate different materials and objects to learn how certain tools work. For example, children can use a plastic knife and see how it works with dough, or using a magnifying glass to understand that it makes the object they are looking at appear bigger.
- Manipulative: Puzzles, modelling clay, and building blocks fall under manipulative play. This kind of play helps kids develop their fine motor skills, which include hand-eye coordination and balance.
- Physical: Running, jumping, dancing, climbing—if the games your child plays entail movement, this is physical play. This kind of play is a great way to exercise, and is important for your child’s physical development and overall health.
- Games with rules: Whether it’s traditional outdoor games, board games, card games, or computer games, games with structure allow your child to understand concepts of fair play, logic, and order.
- Fantasy: Also pretend-based, these games engage more of the imagination. Watching interactive cartoons, for example, allows kids to create narratives around imaginary characters, thus developing their creativity and imagination.
CBeebies, for instance, is a pre-school channel for children aged six and under, for maximum engagement and brain stimulation for children as they play! It is advertising-free, safe, educational and interactive. Favourites like Hey Duggee, Go Jetters and Sarah and Duck will be sure to leave your little ones entertained for hours as they learn with and join in on the characters’ adventures – while the intersection of fun, interactivity, and education is a powerful approach for your preschooler’s learning.
Your child can watch these educational programmes and more on CBeebies, available on StarHub (Channel 303) in Singapore and on HyppTV (Channel 553) in Malaysia.
Play resources for parents
The fun doesn’t end there, though. Learning is even more effective when children are engaged, and what better way to promote that than for them to learn with their favourite characters? Take the immersive experience to the next level and explore the CBeebies‘ website for more interactive activities to do with your child. Your little one will be able to play and learn about the world around them through engaging activities, one tiny step at a time.
Some of the activities include:
And don’t be mistaken into thinking it’s just for the kids! Parents will find loads of useful resources and articles that you can share and learn from as well.
Exclusive contest for theAsianparent community!
Download and complete the seven activity sheets from www.cbeebies.com/shows/go-
Hurry, the contest ends 10 April!
See full contest details and mechanics here.
Check out more downloadable/online activities your child will love through this quiz!
Sources: Absorbing information – Carnegie Mellon University