The Importance Of Play: How Kids Learn By Having Fun

Learning through playing is a fun way of intellectually stimulating a child’s brain by interacting with the world, oneself amid others. The overwhelming pressure of homework and extra-curricular activities can take precious playing hours away from children which can hamper your child’s emotional and cognitive growth. So what exactly is the importance of play in children? Play helps build imagination and creativity as they often create make-believe games mimicking adults creating their own unique narratives around these roles. It builds cognitive development as free play positively affects neurological development by influencing the neural structures of the brain. It helps socialisation in children as group play heavily involves interaction among children belonging to the same age group where they can learn team building, co-operation and sharing. Here are some fun activities that can facilitate learning. Now that we’ve laid out the importance of play in children, here are some fun ideas for you to make playtime an awesome activity.

1. For Ages 7-9-
   • Comic Book Writing – Take a few sheets and colours and make your comic book. Imagining new stories and interacting with colours can help increase visual stimulation and coming up with new stories can facilitate creative imagination.
   • Nature Art – Using materials found all around the outside of your house, create a piece of art or self-portrait. A child can use their creative imagination to think of leaves as hair, or rocks as eyes etc.
   • Expert Writing – Expand your child’s interest or knowledge by asking him/her to research and write up on a topic to his/her liking and have her/him present it to your family.
   • Crossword Challenge- Crosswords enable the child to start reading horizontally and vertically and it improves memory and processing capabilities.
     Choose any topic of your child’s interest- it can be fruits, colours or animals or superheroes. Write down the hints by the side of the crossword and you can also help them solve the puzzle.

2. For ages 10-13-
   • STEM Scavenger Hunt – It is a fun learning activity wherein games can be played in a worksheet format. In these questions, short answer questions and their keys are given. The questions are aimed at teaching very basic concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to your child. You can design a scavenger hunt with a question or riddle designed on these topics and every right answer would get them closer to the prize.

• • Make a Tie Dye Apparel – It is a fun way for your child to engage their creative abilities by creating innumerable patterns by using dyes. The basic principle of the process is to tie the areas that you want to dye with a thread and colour them. By tying the cloth, different patterns are produced.
  • Run An Obstacle Course – This can be a fun-filled way of incorporating physical exercise with learning by multiple-step events. Taking part in events such as obstacle courses can boost strength and can also exercise your child’s problem-solving skills. You can buy these obstacle courses online or make one with your child that can be another fun activity.
  • Recycled City – Encourage recycling and the importance of reusing things by asking your child to make a city or a model out of entirely recycled products. This engages their creativity, builds on their cognitive abilities and also makes them aware of important practices such as recycling.

Make playtime fun and a fortifying experience for your child through these simple and fun learning activities at home. There’s a lot of emphasis on the importance of play in children because it can go a long way to heighten your child’s intellectual capabilities, so the next time your child craves playtime, do give in and enjoy learning!

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Disclaimer

Growth is influenced by genetics, nutrition, and other environmental factors. Please consult your healthcare professional further.
The information provided in this article is based on the writer’s personal experience and view. Any recommendations made about physical activity, nutrition source, and benefits on this website should be consulted with your paediatric/ health professional. The information you receive in our blogs, and other communication does not take the place of professional medical advice. Any recommendations made about physical activity, nutrition, or diet on this website should be consulted with your healthcare professional