Opportunities to play are really opportunities to learn. During play children learn and practice social skills, develop cognitive abilities like problem solving, and refine language skills. Renowned psychologist, Jean Piaget, summed it up best: “play is a child’s work.”
As a parent, you become the prime candidate for channeling your child’s play experiences in a way that is challenging and developmentally appropriate. Here are some key points regarding play behavior to guide you in the process of enhancing your child’s social and cognitive development.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAY
Provide your child with stimulating toys and play opportunities at home or in playgroups. Play programs, like Gymboree Play & Music, foster interactive activities and provide developmentally appropriate toys for the young mind to explore.
Provide your child with stimulating toys and play opportunities at home or in playgroups. Play programs, like Gymboree Play & Music, foster interactive activities and provide developmentally appropriate toys for the young mind to explore.
Young children enjoy learning through physical play because it helps them refine budding motor skills. It teaches them to control their bodies, develop confidence and understand their abilities and limits. Physical play can also redirect frustration and pent up energy caused from the stress of encountering new situations. To support physical play, provide climbing pieces like steps or stairs for your child to tackle under your supervision.
PRETEND PLAY, REAL LEARNING
The toddler’s ability to engage in imaginative play is an important step for being able to move to pretend play, an inevitable social milestone in the young child’s development. The ability to pretend emerges by 18 months of age and pretend play becomes more sophisticated by 3 years. It may seem like make believe to the adult eye, but it’s what a child uses for practicing adult roles like going to the grocery store or taking care of a baby, and acting out familiar events and actions like eating breakfast or getting ready for bed.
The toddler’s ability to engage in imaginative play is an important step for being able to move to pretend play, an inevitable social milestone in the young child’s development. The ability to pretend emerges by 18 months of age and pretend play becomes more sophisticated by 3 years. It may seem like make believe to the adult eye, but it’s what a child uses for practicing adult roles like going to the grocery store or taking care of a baby, and acting out familiar events and actions like eating breakfast or getting ready for bed.
It’s no coincidence that expressive language skills rapidly grow around the same time that pretend play begins to emerge–social and cognitive abilities do not develop independently; they are intertwined. The use of language supports and enhances imaginary play and vice versa. When a child pretends, she uses words to express feelings and ideas. As pretend play becomes more sophisticated, so do language skills.
It’s important to support pretend play by engaging in your child’s conversation because it encourages your child to use cognitive skills like problem solving (what ingredients do we need for an apple pie), and perspective taking (how does a baker make a pie). The ability to pretend develops on its own without your intervention. You can help take your child’s pretending to the next level.
MAKE IT A PLAY DATE
Peers become more interesting to young children, especially throughout the preschool years and beyond. Participating in organized playgroups or parent-child participation programs is a great way for children to interact alongside each other with your supervision and provides your child with unstructured time to explore and play at her own pace and with peers. The play between your young child and his peers will most likely take the form of parallel play, play that is near peers but not collaborative. By 2 ½ to 3 years, your child’s play will become more cooperative. You can guide your child through the change from parallel to cooperative play by surrounding him with developmentally appropriate activities he can enjoy with peers.
Peers become more interesting to young children, especially throughout the preschool years and beyond. Participating in organized playgroups or parent-child participation programs is a great way for children to interact alongside each other with your supervision and provides your child with unstructured time to explore and play at her own pace and with peers. The play between your young child and his peers will most likely take the form of parallel play, play that is near peers but not collaborative. By 2 ½ to 3 years, your child’s play will become more cooperative. You can guide your child through the change from parallel to cooperative play by surrounding him with developmentally appropriate activities he can enjoy with peers.
Remember not to expect too much from your young toddler in regards to turn taking or sharing. Make sure there are plenty of toys to go around in your playgroup and put away any special items you know your child will have a difficult time seeing others play with. By age 2, you will get more cooperation from your child when it comes to sharing. Eventually your child will form her own way of interacting with peers that satisfies you and works for her.
Excerpts from article written by Vanessa Gallo, who is a Program Developer and Trainer for Gymboree Play & Music. She holds an M.A. in Developmental Psychology. In addition to her role at Gymboree Play & Music, Vanessa serves as a guest lecturer at San Francisco State University and has recently published a piece in The Macmillan Psychology Reference Series: Child Development.
