3 Smart Ways of Supporting Your Child’s Learning Through Play

It may sometimes seem like all your child wants to do is play. However, that’s definitely a good thing, since play provides children with some of the most unique opportunities to learn about themselves and the world they live in. Play helps them develop their cognitive, motor and even verbal skills, which is why you should let them play as much as they want to. In fact, you should encourage them to do it and support them however you can. Here are some smart ways for you to do just that.

Create a special place for them

Making sure that your little one has a perfect place to boost their creativity, imagination and intelligence through play is something you should definitely do. If possible, you should give them an entire room. However, you shouldn’t just pick a room and simply throw in all of their toys there, since that’s not really the best possible solution. First of all, you need to make sure that your kid is safe in there. That’s why, in case there are some taller pieces of furniture in the room, you should fixate them to the wall, so that you avoid any tip-over accidents. Also, you should paint the walls and anything else in the room with non-toxic paint and always clean this room with eco-friendly cleaning products, which aren’t as aggressive as the regular ones. Furthermore, this space should be cheerful, so use vibrant colors when decorating it. As far as furniture is concerned, you’ll be fine with a shelf, some nice toy boxes, a lazy bag, and perhaps a chair and a desk. The last piece of advice would be not to overcrowd the room, since the whole point of it is that your child has enough space for unstructured play.

Provide them with the right toys

Kids love toys and they should have enough of them, but this definitely doesn’t mean that you should spend insane amounts of money on expensive toys which your kid can’t really benefit from. In fact, making toys from recycled materials like cardboard boxes, empty plastic bottles and various containers is a very cost-effective way to provide your child with different toys, while giving them the opportunity to participate in the making of those toys. Of course, it’s perfectly fine to buy toys for your little one as well, but make sure that the toys are useful for their mental and physical development. For instance, there are some amazing toys which inspire creativity and feed their curiosity. You can often get these fun and versatile educational products in shop packs, so that your child can play with them for as long as they want. Your kid may not realize it, but through playing with exactly this type of toys, they’ll enhance their knowledge of math and science and even develop a love for the subjects, which can turn out to be exceptionally rewarding down the road.

Don’t criticize them for getting dirty

You adore your kid, but it’s perfectly understandable that you’re not really crazy about giving them baths five times a day and spending more time washing their clothes than your ankle biter spends wearing them. However, preventing your little one from jumping into puddles, rolling down a grass hill or playing with mud would be a crying shame, since these forms of play are highly beneficial for a growing child. It’s in their best interest to engage in such play, since it allows them to learn all sorts of new things. From getting familiar with different textures of things to improved balance, sensory processing and motor skills, both fine and gross, playing outside in the dirt is something they should do regularly. That’s why it’s crucial that they know you aren’t disappointed in them or angry with them when their shoes, hands or faces get dirty, since they might stop playing in order to make you feel better. That would mean that you’re standing in the way of your child’s learning, but also their pure joy, which is something no parent should do.

It doesn’t take too much effort to support your child in their desire to play, while the advantages of it are immeasurable. So, let your child play, and whenever you get the chance, feel free to join in the fun. Your kid will be immensely happy for it.