As you watch your child grow up you have every hope in the world for them to live, learn, laugh, and love. You do your best to ensure they absorb everything they can from the world around them, from math and science to art and spelling. Did you know that one of the best ways to help develop your child’s education from day one is to encourage and support playing? If you are wondering exactly what kind of play helps children to grow and learn this is the article for you.
Using Play to Teach Your Child
Children are sponges and they soak up the world around them, and this is especially true when they are engaged in play. Specifically, in the early years through to Preschool and Kindergarten, here are the benefits of play:
- Play helps to engage children in their activity
- Play helps them to learn focus
- Play helps children learn to work through problems
- Play encourages curiosity about the world around them
- Play develops initiative and problem-solving skills when conflict arises
- Play teaches focused attention and persistence
Yes, it’s true, one of the best gifts you can give your child is more play to become a better student and member of the community. As they get older and begin preschool, all of these foundational skills will help them to be successful in school settings.
Preschool Activities to Encourage Learning
Like most parents and caregivers of toddlers or busy preschoolers, you know how difficult it can be to create a variety of interesting and exciting ways to play throughout the day. Sometimes it might feel like your child is getting into everything in the home, and then is off to the next set of cupboards before you have cleaned up the last ones, but stress not- this is a normal and healthy exploration of their world!
If you are looking for fun and engaging activities that encourage play to develop learning, here are some of our favourite simple and affordable Montessori play activities for home:
- Make a Mystery Box. By simply cutting two holes in the bottom of a box that your child can fit their arms through you have created an amazing mystery box! Have your child place their arms through the holes and feel for and identify different items that you have placed inside, No peeking!
- Make a Sorting Activity. In a bowl, you can mix different items together (think different shapes of pasta, or different kinds of beads) and have your child sort them out.
- Create a Floating Experiment. Add water into a large container, or the bathtub. Gather an assortment of items and have your child guess whether they think they will float or sink before dropping them in.
- Kitchen Play. Encouraging play with kid-safe kitchen utensils and some tasty ingredients can foster healthy eating habits and a love for spending time in the kitchen.
Remember, not all play needs to feel elaborate and meticulously planned. Encourage your child in whatever they do by asking them questions, cheering them on, and finding opportunities for lessons in the mistakes.
Montessori Preschool Programs for Lifelong Learners
Joining your child in playful fun helps to keep them engaged for longer periods so learning can occur. Your child loves spending time with you and your comments and connection as you play with them will only help them to play longer and stronger!
Not only will you have fun exploring the world around you together, but you will also be investing in their education now and in the future.
Grey Matter Montessori in Northwest Calgary encourages a lifelong passion for your learning and higher education through the principles of the Montessori method. If you want to know more about our Preschool Programs contact us through our website, or by calling us at 587-707-4739.
FAQs
What is the difference between Preschool and Montessori Preschool?
In Montessori preschool children are encouraged to learn at their own pace with the teacher guiding them along their learning journey. Children develop a love for education through their own passions and in a Montessori preschool the teacher lets the child explore and follow their interests. A traditional preschool will have a teacher who leads all of the children through the same activity and ensures that everyone participates and completes the task by the end of the day.
How do I know if Montessori is right for my child?
A misconception about the Montessori method for education is that your child needs to be a certain ‘way’ or have an abundance of specific qualities such as focus and planning skills. But what Montessori schools do is teach these types of qualities to children and this type of learning and play can be shared with your child from day one.
What are the best preschool programs?
There are many styles of preschool programs to choose from. If you are looking for a program that will set your child up for success through a(an):
- holistic style of learning
- variety of unique and proven methods for learning
- individual child focus
- exploration of each child’s unique abilities
- safe and enjoyable environment
- preparedness for academic and social excellence
- positive, encouraging, and value each individual child
If this sounds like the environment you would like your preschooler to experience, contact Grey Matter Montessori in Calgary to learn more about the Preschool Program at 587-707-4739 or by filling out the form below.
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