Playing is Learning!

Academics:  When children play alone or with other children, there are so many opportunities for them to be learning math and literacy skills. In the classroom student centers are structured to foster play and learning. While students most often think of  “center time” as play, little do they know they are learning new academics. Here is a list of just a few academic skills that children learn while playing in classroom centers or outside.

• Dramatic Play- Children use numbers to buy household items, when making a recipe, and counting items to set a table. Literacy skills are built through reading recipes, grocery lists, and books related to dramatic play.
• Table Toys–  Children use manipulatives such as shapes, numbers, counting cubes/bears, dinosaurs, etc. to complete a variety of activities including: patterns, ordering by size, connecting given set of objects to corresponding numerals, and shape pattern cards.  Literacy in this center might include alphabet shape pattern cards and books for children to read.
• Writing-  Children have exposure to a variety of different writing materials: crayons, makers, stamps, and pencils. They are constantly using letters and numbers through writing or playing fun activities like file folder games, matching or memory! My students favorite activity in this center is using white boards.
• Outside- This is by far my students favorite time of the day (and mine)! Children love to play games such as hopscotch, red rover, tag, and duck, duck, goose. They are exposed to new vocabulary and use numbers to count and keep track of scores. Chalk is another fun way to incorporate learning numbers and letters outside

Fine and Gross Motor Skills: The development of fine and gross motor skills is critical for young children. They need consistent exposure to activities that will help develop these muscles. Playing is an awesome way for children to strengthen their body muscles! Fine motor skills include: grasping objects, cutting, using zippers and buttons, and opening and closing objects.  Gross motor skills include: using your arms to pick up large objects, throwing a ball, running, balancing, skipping, and using stairs. Here is a following list of ways children develop fine and gross motor skills through play.

• Blocks- Children use fine motor muscles to build complex buildings or structures. They also use fine motor muscles to put together train or race car tracks. Children develop gross motor muscles by balancing to bend over and pick up or move objects in this center.
• Art- Children use fine motor muscles by opening and closing materials such as glue, markers, stamps, and containers holding other materials. Fine motor muscles are also used to cut paper, write, and paint in this center.
• Outside- Giving children the opportunity to play outside or stay physically active is very critical to their gross motor development. When children are active they work on building and strengthening large muscles. They do this through running, skipping, using the stairs, jumping, monkey bars, and balance bars. If you live some place cold, preparing to go outside is a great opportunity to help students work on dressing themselves and using zippers and buttons!

Social Skills: One of the obvious benefits of play is the social aspect! When children play together they develop a foundation for social skills so down the road they will be able to understand and learn more complex social skills. Basic social skills children work on during play include: turn taking, waiting, comprising, sharing, trading, and playing together to meet a common goal. Below is an example of a visual flip chat my students can use if they need help playing with their peers.  When children play together they also work on appropriately expressing their feelings and finding solutions to a problem. Below is a prop we use in our classroom. It is called bugs and wishes. Student know how to use this to help them explain that something is bothering them and they would like the other person to stop. I.e. It bugs me when you take my toys without asking, I wish you would ask me first.  This is something that can be easily be made!