For young children, learning doesn’t happen at a desk with a worksheet. Tall towers made of blocks, pretend kitchens full of elaborate tea party essentials, songs with friends, climbing up the steps to the slide…these are the places that learning happens in early childhood education. Research is consistently supporting the reality that play-based learning is one of the most effective ways young children learn. Play is not a distraction from learning, play drives learning–building a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills that will set them up for success well beyond the preschool years.
Want to see learning through play first-hand? Schedule a tour here at Chester Child Development Center and see how we intentionally plan and support play every day.
Play Builds Strong Brain Development
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play supports healthy brain development by allowing children to engage in problem-solving, decision-making, and creative thinking. whether at daycare, preschool, or at home, while playing, a child’s brain is active and working. As they pretend, explore, and engage their environment, they are building neural connections that will lay the foundation for memory, attention, and flexible thinking as they grow.
We know that play is pivotal and make a point to plan different types of play, including free play, to stretch and grow our students in a variety of ways. Call us today here at Chester Child Development Center to schedule a tour and see what our lesson plans from class to class.
Play Strengthens Language and Early Literacy Skills
Play naturally encourages conversation because it gives children a meaningful reason to use language. Children are challenged to explain their ideas, describe stories, negotiate with other children and so much more. This is a solid way to strengthen vocabulary, sentence structure and storytelling. It is like a language workout that a child doesn’t even know they are participating in! Research summarized by Zero to Three emphasizes that young children build language most effectively when communication is embedded in meaningful, engaging activities—such as play—rather than through rote instruction alone.
Call us up here at Chester Child Development Center; we would love to show you and your family our classrooms, various toys and play areas, as well as our outdoor spaces and playgrounds! Come see how our early childhood educators weave meaningful play into the day-to-day life of their class.
Play Supports Social and Emotional Learning
The development of social-emotional skills is essential, not just for success in school but for success in life as a whole. Through play, kids have to learn how to cooperate, take turns, resolve conflict, manage emotions, and learn to be good friends, siblings, and, well, people. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) emphasizes this, finding that play-based learning helps children develop self-regulation, empathy, and positive relationships.
Our preschool and childcare teachers here at Chester Child Development Center seek to encourage strong friendships and quality play among their students. From purposeful conflict resolution to solid classroom management, our teachers create an amazing environment for our students to play and learn. Schedule a tour to meet some of our amazing educators and to see learning (and play) in action!
Play Encourages Problem-Solving and Early Math Skills
Who knew you could practice math on the block center carpet? Block building, puzzles, sorting games, and even card games help introduce and reinforce early math concepts. Skills like counting, patterns, measurement, and spatial awareness all come up in these types of play without you even knowing it! While this might not be traditional ‘school work’, Head Start highlights that early math isn’t just counting—children build math concepts like shapes, measurement, and spatial sense naturally as they play and interact with objects.
Call today to schedule a tour and check out our various play areas here at Chester Child Development Center–from blocks and pretend play corners to book nooks and outdoor play spaces, we have it all!
Play is at the Heart of Early Childhood Education
Play-based learning supports the way young children naturally learn. Here at Chester Child Development Center, we know the importance of play and make it a point to create fun and engaging lessons that will keep your little one learning and growing all while having the best time! Because when learning feels like play, children don’t just grow, they thrive.