The Importance of Play

Post date: Jan 13, 2021 3:52:2 PM

Hello, Sunshine Families! Please know you are in my prayer! I wanted to share some thoughts that I hope will help you while you are at home with your kids.

Play is the most developmentally appropriate and productive avenue for your Sunshine's continued learning. Play is an educational process. It develops initiative, interest and imagination. It secures concentration for sustained periods, which will come in handy when your child needs to "work" not play. The amount of time you can expect your Sunshine to sit still and focus on "work" is 8 or 9 minutes. Much of what we do in Preschool is to monitor and model social and emotional development. With very little interaction outside of immediate family, you will need to be intentional in your interaction with your Sunshine.

Play is individual and has no pre-determined expectation. If your child is free to succeed at a task they choose, this success leads to feelings of competence, self-worth, joy, and the willingness to try new things. You know how satisfying it is to put the last piece in a puzzle or finish a book. It is the same satisfaction for your Sunshine while they are playing. And that is probably why the Diocese of Arlington calls our curriculum "Building Blocks"--we are creating life-long learners one block at a time!

Learning takes place when children can question, explore, share ideas and information. With our schedule so disrupted, I have tried to come up with ideas that mimic what I have been providing in my Sunshine Class.

So, I thought if might be helpful if outline various areas of developmental play for you to perhaps provide this week while we are virtual.

ART CENTER/ EASEL: Children are offered both directed art and open-ended art projects. Through art activities children learn to Make choices; follow directions; use their imagination; explore different textures; tell a story; use fine motor skills as well as visual perception skills. They also practice planning a task and seeing it through. There are lots of art ideas on Pintrest. You also can create a "Build it Box" of repurposed materials, glue, tape and scissors and have them build something and then present it to you.

WOODEN BLOCKS/ LEGO'S: When building with blocks or Lego's, children learn to Develop and coordinate both small and large muscles, they can learn cooperation skills and team work, they learn to classify objects by shape, size and function; they are working on symmetry, balance and patterning; most importantly-- a sense of personal accomplishment. If you have them, break them out!

PRAY--all of your kids know the OUR FATHER. Before we pray I say this "Wiggle your left hand, Now wiggle your right hand and use THIS hand to make the sign of the cross" and if they get it mixed up I just correct their left and right and start the Prayer. At snack time, I say " Can I see tall fingers, small fingers, Out or In" Your kids are then quiet and ready to pray. Works like a charm!