Giving your child plenty of opportunities to play and interact with others their age is one of the most critical things you can do as a parent. Early childhood social interaction is essential for kids. They learn, develop, and grow emotionally from being around others while helping nurture their curiosity and creativity.
Early childhood providers understand that positive learning experiences are best stimulated by drawing on a child’s natural impulse to play and cause chaos in their own little way. As such, playtime is curated in such a way that it allows children to actively engage with and excitedly discover their world.
How Play Develops with Children
Play begins early – from the moment a baby is born. As your child grows and develops, so does the way they play, talk, and socialize. They’ll experiment more and even abandon some interests. For this reason, it’s crucial to provide them with as many nurturing experiences as possible so they can expand their world. And all this starts with playtime.
Play is central to your child’s learning and development, helping them:
- Learn to be independent while caring for others
Children thrive in an environment where they feel loved, safe, and happy. While you can provide such an environment at home, playtime at daycare allows children to get the confidence to communicate their ideas to a group. They’ll learn the concept of sharing and empathizing and will begin to understand how people express different emotions.
- Develop language and social skills
Early childhood social interaction enables your child to develop social skills, establish and respect boundaries, and find ways to resolve conflicts amicably. Playtime also provides a chance to enhance their vocabulary and communication skills. They’ll also develop a sense of self and learn to understand social cues as well as non-verbal communication.
- Building friendships
Making friends and keeping them is quite the life skill and a difficult one to master at that. Some friendships form naturally as your child spends more time with people their age. However, people become set in their ways as they grow older, making it more difficult to venture outside their social circles. The skills your child picks up during play time will resonate their entire life, helping them network, make friends, and build fulfilling lifelong relationships.
- Develop physical skills and discover innate talent at a young age
Playtime involves a lot of physical activity. It’s how children learn to kick, dribble or throw a ball. Creative play can allow them to develop an interest in artistic endeavors. It’s always a great idea to expose your child to as many different experiences as possible when they’re younger. Such a plan allows you to know where their interests or talents lie.
Make the Most of Playtime!
Early childhood social interaction is one of the most crucial building blocks for developing confidence and coping skills. At daycare, children learn to share in the joy of discovery as they interact with each other and the world around them. This way, they’ll know the skills necessary to navigate the world as adults.
Contact The Learning Center
Contact us to learn more about our early childhood education programs in Windsor, South Windsor, and Manchester, CT. You may reach us at (860) 643-8639 or visit our contact page.