How to Maximize Play
The holidays are over and kids have new toys to play with which means new creative adventures that enhance their development. Here are a few tips to maximize your child’s learning through play from Meg Stiefvater, early childhood parenting coach for Parenting on the Run:
How to Maximize Play
- Be aware of child development and what is important at each preschool age.
- Rotate toys and keep the available inventory to a minimum. When it comes to toys, less is always more.
- The quality of the toy is important. Quality toys are safe, non-toxic, stand up to years of play and imagination and move from one developmental stage to the next.
- Quantity time, not quality time is important when it comes to play. Your child will take care of the quality, but parents must provide adequate unstructured time for kids to play, discover, improvise, problem solve, create, learn, adjust skills and have fun.
- Balance the basics. Make sure your child has a play material for each type of development.
- Art
- Small Motor
- Large Motor
- Creative Dramatics
- Music
- Books
- High Tech toys should take a backseat to hands on, manipulative play in the preschool years.
- Create a play environment that does not need to be put away each day. A creative block creation can be changed, modified and added on to for days and days, however,
- An organized play area should invite and entice play each day. Be sure kids participate in cleaning up their play area so it is ready for the next day. Encouraging kids to leave an unfinished art project or building project for another time is a great tip that helps during clean up time. It encourages creativity if kids know they don’t have to finish something before they are mentally done with it.
Parenting on the Run offers one-on-one early childhood coaching, parenting workshops for groups, preschool support, and more. Visit Parenting on the Run online at www.parentingontherun.com.