At Devon Nurseries, we believe in the transformative power of play in early childhood. As carers, we often witness the joyful interactions of our nursery children, but have you ever stopped to consider the profound impact that play has on your child’s development and overall well-being?
We explore the significance of play in the lives of little ones, shedding light on how childhood play is not just a pastime but an essential cornerstone that supports their growth, learning, and happiness – equally as important as early education.
Types of Childhood Play
Childhood play can take on various forms, all of which encourage children to flourish and evolve into the brilliant individuals they are. Childhood play can look like:
- Physical play (running, jumping, climbing, playing sports).
- Imaginative play (creating storylines using toys, dolls, or action figures).
- Constructive play (building blocks, lego sets, art materials, or other items).
- Sensory play (playing with sand, water, or playdough).
- Social play (cooperative games, team sports, or simply playing with friends or siblings).
- Solitary play (drawing, reading, or engaging in personal hobbies). Solitary play allows children to focus on their interests and creativity independently.
- Educational play (puzzles, educational games, and other activities that stimulate cognitive development).
1. Supports Cognitive Development
Cognitive development occurs naturally and progressively as a child grows and matures. It refers to a child’s ability to think comprehensively, figure things out, and come to conclusions. Play encourages this process as children learn to use their imaginations, problem-solving skills and creativity.
Playing also supports the development of a child’s language skills and memory whilst helping them gain perspective of what’s going on around them. Play also teaches young children how to reason, practise patience, understand people’s feelings, as well as their own, and get creative.
2. Social and Emotional Development
For children, play is an exciting and adventurous concept that allows them to get involved with the world around them. When children play with others, they learn how to cope with a range of emotions that they may experience throughout their playtime. This can manifest through feelings of happiness, excitement, anticipation, and even frustration, sadness, or fear. Although the latter can initially seem worrying, allowing and giving children the space to feel these feelings in a safe environment through guided play, with the care of our early educators, will teach them how to self-regulate effectively.
Emotional regulation is essential in the early development years of children as they learn how to process their feelings, think, and respond to situations their actions take, which influence their behaviour.
Supporting children through this process will encourage them to become self-reliant, confident, and secure individuals who can manage their emotions effectively. In turn, children will build on their social skills and learn how to communicate with others in the best way possible whilst being aware of their own and other people’s feelings and understanding compassion.
3. Physical Development
Physical play helps children keep active and healthy as they engage different muscle groups through running, jumping, climbing and more! Games like tag, duck-duck-goose, musical chairs, hopscotch, and dancing are excellent ways to keep children physically active whilst having fun. At Devon Nurseries, we’re proud to encourage keeping fit through events like sports days, held at all our nurseries.
Children learn to use different parts of their body to accomplish an objective, such as lifting objects, kicking a football, catching a ball, doing handstands, and so much more. Physical play also builds muscle and bone strength, teaches children how to balance, and builds a good foundation that will encourage them to stay active and make informed decisions about their health in adulthood.
4. Language Skills
Through play, children practise their language skills as they learn the names of objects, understand nouns and verbs, and verbally communicate what they’re doing. They also learn to listen to the ideas of others, which encourages them to respond with their thoughts and feelings, sparking the start of conversations which encourage children to build on their speech. This can help to build a child’s confidence as they form new friendships and develop the ability to talk openly with those around them.
At Devon Nurseries, our early years educational programme promotes communication and language development, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development.
5. Creativity and Imagination
Many types of activities are forms of creative play, all of which can benefit children greatly:
- Arts and Crafts
- Drawing
- Dancing
- Singing
- Playing a musical instrument
- Performing in a play
Creativity and imagination are essential in early education as they encourage children to explore and become curious about the world around them. Activities like art engage children’s senses, vision, touch, hearing, and even smell, which support a child’s cognitive development. Building on creative skills also helps children develop their critical thinking abilities, as they need to access what they’re presented with and develop ideas on reaching their desired goal – building their problem-solving skills.
Children learn to harness their imagination during creative activities like art as they learn to manipulate materials. They can also physically and verbally express themselves through singing, dancing, and performing. Getting creative can raise serotonin levels and allow children to feel a sense of achievement after completing a piece of artwork, taking on a role in a play, or learning to create music.
Our nurturing environment is designed to encourage and celebrate the diverse ways in which children play, and we welcome each child’s unique journey of growth and development and are proud to understand the importance of activities like sports, playing outside in our garden, or getting creative with colour mixing and art.
Playing comes naturally to children, and we foster a safe space for children to do so. We understand that these are cherished moments of exploration and discovery that our little ones embark on, pathing the way for their future. Contact us today if you’d like to know more about Devon Nurseries.