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Dear Children's School Families,
Spring break has finally arrived. What do you have planned for your family? One of the best things you can do for your children is simply let them play!
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is essential to a child’s development, contributing to their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits play presents for both children and parents, however, time for free play has been markedly reduced for many.
Here are just some of the benefits offered by child-centered, free, unstructured play:
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Play allows children to use creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strengths.
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Play is vital to healthy brain development! It is through play that children – at a very early age – engage and interact with the world around them.
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Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers.
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As children master their world, play helps them to develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency needed to face future challenges.
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Undirected play allows children to learn to work in groups: to share, negotiate, resolve conflicts, and learn self-advocacy skills.
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Play that is child-driven allows children to practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.
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Perhaps above all, play is a simple joy and cherished part of childhood.
In today’s busy world, it is easy to feel as though we need to schedule our children as much as possible; to keep them moving and stimulated. It’s a valuable life skill, however, to be able to entertain one’s self without the use of electronics. To be able to sit, maybe get a little bored, and let one's mind wander; this is a skill that even we adults need to work on!
To sum it up with the immortal words of Fred Rogers:
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