Play and Children's Development

Playing is what young children do. As a result, they learn and develop through their play. 

Play offers a natural environment for language development. Have you listened to children at play? They are more likely to use language to interact with others. Or they use language to label what they are doing.  As a mother or carer of young children, you will need to use language to extend their play and to develop their language further.

Play also develops children's logical-mathematical thinking. It allows them to see the cause and effect of what they are doing. Mothers will know that just as soon as they pick that toy up off the floor and place it in front of their baby, the toy will be thrown back onto the floor. This is your child's understanding of the cause and effect relationship: if I throw the toy then it will be picked up and every time I do it the result will be the same. Or if I push this button on the toy then it will make that sound or move. Logical-mathematical thinking also gets developed through their sorting, classifying, ordering and so on through their daily play.

Through experiencing their play, children gain mastery over new skills such as hand-eye coordination, gross and fine motor skills, problem solving, creativity and so on. By providing young children with many opportunities to play, you will be assisting them in their growth and development.

Read more on Children's Play in Early Childhood.