Team
play
plā/
verb
- engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
“the children were playing outside”
Synonyms: amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun
Play allows us to explore, negotiate, create meaning of the world and take risks within a safe environment. The benefits of playing have been well documented in educational, parenting and professional literature. Google promotes play for their employees to foster creativity and to support their well being, and research shows children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well-developed memory skills, communication and language development, and are better able to regulate their behaviour, leading to enhanced social interactions and academic learning (Bodrova & Leong, 2005).
As strong play advocates and believers that play supports all areas of child development, we are looking forward to introducing and discussing different aspects of play and how to use play to facilitate learning, growth, and development. Stay tuned for our weekly posts. We will share some of the latest resources and also activities for adults to do with babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school aged children. Our activities will break down how we can address all aspects of development simultaneously while playing!
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Amanda & Eunice
Play [Def. 1]. (n.d.). In Oxford Dictionary, Retrieved September 17, 2015, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/play
Bodrova, E. & Leong, D. J. (2005). Uniquely preschool: What research tells us about the ways young children learn. Educational Leadership, 63(1), 44-47.
