Opportunities for Play

It is often said, “Play is a child’s work”. Children are born with a natural curiosity and desire to learn. Play is the natural expression of this desire. We recognize that children can learn many concepts and develop new skills through their play. Through a single art activity, such as finger painting, children and develop fine motor skills (which will aid in their ability to write) through the use of their fingers and gross motor skills through the use of their whole arms. They can learn about color and what happens when you mix them and what colors are pleasing to the eye when used together. They learn creative expression when given the opportunity to be free in their art and develop their imaginations if illustrating a book or their own story. They gain self-esteem when they are pleased with their creation and have others share in that joy. They learn self-help skills and a sense of responsibility when helping to clean up after the activity. This is but one example of some of the many things children can learn through their play. As teachers, we need to be good observers of children so that we can identify skills and concepts children need and want to learn so we can structure the environment and provide the necessary resources to facilitate their learning.