Improving Your Child's Preschool Experience

Playing is something every child enjoys, and it is actually something that is vital for kids, which is why many parents look for preschools that offer play-based learning. If you are looking for a good preschool for your child, you too may want to consider finding one that teaches more so through play than through academics. Here are two things you should know about the importance of play for kids.

Playing Is Vital

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights believes so strongly in the vitality of play time for kids that their stance is that playing is the right of every child. Playing is how kids learn, but playing is vital for so many other reasons than this. Here are some of the main benefits offered when kids get the opportunity to learn through playing:

• It encourages proper brain development – When kids play, it improves their memory and leads to the release of BDNF, which is a hormone that keeps the brain healthy.
• They learn to problem solve – Children develop reasoning skills while playing, and this can help them learn how to solve problems as kids and as adults. When playing with other kids, they learn not only how to socialize, but also how to negotiate and work together.
• They are able to find things that interest them – As kids begin playing in a room filled with toys, they will have the ability and freedom to choose what to play with. By choosing things they like, they will have more fun while they play, and this may also help them develop interests in other things.
• It helps them imagine – When kids are playing with toys, they often imagine that the toys are real things. Developing a good imagination as a child may help a child become more creative as he or she grows up.
• They may end up with better grades when they are older – A current study showed a correlation between a child's social skills and grades, and the result of this study was that kids with good social skills get higher grades in school. Playtime allows kids to socialize and build the essential skills needed to work with others.

Playing is what kids do best, and a well-structured preschool will often give kids plenty of time for playing. While a play-based preschool still typically teaches kids the normal preschool-age academics, it will often incorporate the educational aspects into fun activities.

Lack Of Playtime Can Be Detrimental For A Child's Future

Not only is playing important for kids, but a lack of playtime may actually harm kids. Here are some of the ways kids can be harmed by not being given enough time to play:

• They are rushed into adulthood – Kids need time to be kids, but so many preschools and parents want to rush their children into adulthood. While it is not harmful to teach children how to take care of themselves, it can be harmful to force this too quickly when they are so young.
• It can lead to trouble with attention spans – The brain develops properly and naturally when kids play, and when kids cannot play enough, they may end up having trouble paying attention when they get a little older.
• They do not learn how to socially interact – A lack of play also leads to problems with social skills. Kids that do not learn how to play with others may have a harder time making friends and fitting in when they get older.
• They have a higher chance of developing depression and other mental illnesses – A lack of playtime can prevent kids from learning how to take control of their own lives and fate, and researchers believe this factor is one of the reasons so many young adults suffer from depression today.

If you are looking for a preschool for your child, you may want to look for one that is based more on playing than on academics. While paying a preschool to allow your child to play may seem contradictory to you, it may actually be in your child's best interest, and it may help better prepare your child for school and adulthood. To learn more, contact a preschool in your area, such as Kid's Country Child Care & Learning Center.