Playtime for toddlers is more than just a fun activity. At their age, playing amplifies learning, confidence, development, physical and mental well-being. Playtime offers an increased opportunity for young minds to learn as it opens the world around them. Based on this, psychologists note that playing itself can be divided into two types. In this article, we take a deep dive to understand why it is important for children to play, which goes beyond just having fun!
Types of playing
Unstructured Play
Entirely dependent on the child. This type of play differs from child to child, based on their preference. Unstructured or free play is when a toddler plays in their interest and time. Considered the best form, free play ensures the toddler expands his or her imagination to play. These include exploring spaces, dressing up, artistic or musical games.
Structured Play
Usually, under the guidance of a grown-up, structured play involves a specific activity in a set place or time. These include activities, lessons, storytelling, swimming, drama, music classes, or sports.
Together, structured and unstructured, play contributes to the holistic development of the toddler.
Benefits of Playing
A journal published by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends playing to promote healthy child development and strong child-parent relationship. Playing ensures emotional, physical, creative, social, cognitive, and communicative development. To better understand these benefits, let us understand each in detail.
Emotional Development
Fear, anger, aggression, irritation, joy – these are a few emotions young kids experience as they play. Over time, they learn to understand and cope with these situations, thereby also inculcating empathy in them.
Physical Development
It goes without saying that playtime amplifies physical development. As kids play, it develops their motor skills, balance, and coordination. Playtime also ensures a healthier lifestyle as kids spend their energy making them hungry and sleepy easily.
Creative Development
Ideas form as imagination runs wild during playtime. Young toddlers come up with different activities to keep them entertained and find solutions. Exploring their world, they create original ideas.
Social development
Playing with a date, friend, or in a group inculcates and develops social skills in kids. They understand and participate in the collaboration. Furthermore, concepts like group dynamics, compromise, sharing, feelings build in these scenarios.
Cognitive Development
Memories build and come into effect as kids play. The world around them including sounds, words, etc., adds to the memory. As they remember, they begin to understand and reason.
Communicative Development
When kids play with parents or in a group they begin to communicate. They actively exchange information and express feelings. Communication includes physical actions or signals, words or noises, writing.
As children grow, their style of play changes and develops. For toddlers to play freely, it is absolutely essential for them to be comfortably clothed. To ensure your kids are entirely comfortable and look stylish, check out upcoming fashion brand Tiny Tycoon – a fashion brand exclusive for kids.
Conceived and designed by young parents based out of Montreal, Canada the Tiny Tycoon brand perfectly understands the needs of today’s parents. At Tiny Tycoon, comfort goes hand in hand with safety, style, and quality. Watch this space for more updates on kids’ fashion, health, and lifestyle tips.
