Helping Children Learn through Play
May 26th, 2011 | 
Author: Playgrounds for school play time and recess have changed greatly over the past few years. Children can enjoy much more imaginative spaces than when we were children. There is a wide variety of play equipment that schools and local parks can choose from. Each different type of play area can encourage different kinds of learning. As well as developing physical abilities, children can strength cognitive capabilities through play.
Listening, Communication and Social Skills
The ability to interact with and co-operate with others is one of the most important learning stages for young children. Schoolyards can incorporate small chairs and tables into corners that allow children to sit and speak to each other in small groups. This is also excellent for quieter children, since it provides a respite from boisterous play and loud games. The use of organic shapes, such as leaf shaped tables, can help the imagination.
Confidence, Expression and Story Telling
It is easier than ever for teachers to bring lessons outside and being able to enjoy fine summer days can increase productivity. Storyteller’s chairs can be situated at the head of creative seating solutions where children can sit on wiggly benches or spiral shapes. Spiral benches can double up as mazes when it is time to play. Apart from this, raised platforms in the schoolyard can become stages for plays, or children can tell their own stories with puppet theatres. This type of equipment can be used from Kindergarten right up until the ages of ten and eleven, when children can put on shows for the younger students.
Cognitive Reasoning and Musical Ability
Xylophones, wind chimes, sand shakers and more allow children to express their musical abilities and experiment with sound. Convex and concave mirrors allow them to take their first steps towards understanding scientific concepts about light. Even structures made for them to climb and play on have regular shapes which can be learnt about, then sides of shapes can be counted and multiplied.
Co-Ordination and Active Play
Children have brilliant imaginations which embrace all kinds of play equipment and structures which can easily fit into fantastic worlds of their creation. Bring in animal structures, like tigers and frogs, or go for different themes like monsters or pirate ships. Make sure that there is high quality safety surfacing beneath each one and allow them to really explore and climb.
Posted in Parenting