Benefits of Children Playing

Is there anything cuter than children playing? Whether playing with dolls or running outdoors, children at play are happy, vibrant, and full of life. Play isn't all fun and games, though. Kids learn best when they are actively engaged, so playtime is actually learning time as well.

When kids play board games, they are building many essential skills. The earliest board games like Candy Land help kids learn colors, counting, and turn taking. Games like chess and checkers teach kids patience and strategizing. Other games reinforce math, reading, and comprehension skills.

From the banging of pots and pans in the early days to the musical leanings of older kids, children enjoy making noise. Kids learn rhythm, patterns, audio discrimination, and listening skills through making noise and music. For older kids, music theory and history are also important.

Blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs, and the like are classic favorites that will never go out of style. These building toys teach eye-hand coordination, teamwork, and fine motor skills. Believe it or not, kids can even learn engineering concepts through playing with building toys!

Through playing with dolls, children learn how to nurture and care for others, as well as how to express themselves. Many children also use doll play to work out their own anger, sadness, feelings of powerlessness, and other emotions.

Playing outdoors is fun and educational for kids. Younger kids can learn about the changing of the seasons and the life cycles of various insects. Kids can journal, draw, or take pictures of nature while they're playing or taking walks.

Swimming is not only fun, it's also great exercise. Children playing in the water are getting a low-impact workout while staying cool. Just make sure that your kids learn about water safety and that they are always properly supervised in and around the water.

What is more fun than jumping? You can't jump and be anything but happy. Jumping is also an excellent workout. Jumping rope, hopscotch, and rebounders are fun ways for kids to jump. If you decide to let your kids use a trampoline, use a safety enclosure and teach them the safety rules.

Sports such as baseball, soccer, basketball, and football teach kids the importance of being part of a team. If handled correctly, they can also teach healthy competition, dealing with loss, and the importance of being a gracious winner.

Sure, it's messy, but art is educational fun for kids. Give your kids a blank sheet of paper and some finger paints, and let their creativity soar! Don't worry about being neat and tidy or about matching; just foster the budding artist within. Keep a variety of art supplies on hand. Include paint, markers, crayons, assorted paper, scissors, glue, beads, and more. If your kids are under the age of 3, be on the lookout for choking hazards and always supervise their use of scissors and glue.

For more about kids at play, visit Sports Games for Kids.