What are the Key Benefits of Play-Based Learning for Kids?
Kids thrive in a fun, active and eclectic ambience. Play-based learning technique is one of the key aspects of early education in Australia. It offers young kids potential opportunities to nurture and instil development skills, new concepts, capabilities and behaviours via fun games.
This particular teaching approach is typically based on keeping the children engaged when learning something new and important.
According to the ACARA or Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, more than 90 per cent of preschools in Australia focus on play-based learning as a primary pedagogy. This technique can help children develop social, physical, emotional, and cognitive skills from an early age without any boredom.
Here is a complete guide on play-based learning and how it is beneficial for kids.
Key Benefits of Play-Based Learning
Being parents, it is your responsibility to nurture the skills of your children. If you want to know how play-based learning is great for young kids, consider the following points:
1. It Promotes Imagination & Creativity
Believe it or not! Play-based learning motivates kids to maximise their imagination and creative aspects. This can help them develop their cognitive capabilities.
When he or she plays, they have more freedom to discover their own ideas, face challenges and express themselves without any hesitation. This can be the best teaching strategy for early learning among children.
2. Boosts Physical Skills
Active play and learning games not only develop the cognitive spectrum. The best part is that it can also boost kids’ physical skills and coordination.
Children can discover more about their bodies and learn how they work through different and fun games.
3. Enhances Emotional and Social Development
Play-based learning allows kids to interact with classmates and develop social and emotional skills. They can learn to take initiative, share their views and communicate their ideas with their classmates via play. This can help them develop strong relationships, self-confidence and team skills from an early age.
4. Develops Cognitive Skills
There is no denying that play-based learning in schools of Australia can help kids develop key cognitive skills, such as:
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making skills
However, it is important to focus on creating connections between their learning and real-time experiences for better results.
5. Promotes Language Development
Schools or parents who focus on play-based learning can see a drastic improvement in their kid’s language skills. You can teach them new words and phrases via fun games.
However, it is important to identify learning disabilities in children and ask teachers to pay special attention to your kids.
List of Most Impactful Play-Based Learning Activities
Parents and educators in Australia can focus on the following types of play-based learning activities to foster their learning and development skills:
1. Construction Play-Based Learning
In this type, kids can play with puzzles, blocks and other building objects to create structures in a well-organised way. According to experts, construction play games allow children to develop their spatial reasoning, problem-solving and fine motor skills with ease.
2. Dramatic Play
Let kids play different characters and act out without any hesitation. This type of play-based learning activity can help kids foster their creative aspects, imagination and social skills from an early age.
3. Manipulative Play
There is no denying that kids love to discover and manipulate objects. So, it is good to let your kids play with sand, clay, play dough, etc. This can help kids to develop their creativity, senses and other aspects.
Tips on Implementing Play-Based Learning
This type of learning structure can be incorporated in preschools, kindergartens and, of course, indoor learning environments. Here are some quick tips to help you do this with ease:
1. Develop a Play-Driven Environment
It is imperative to offer kids an ample range of play materials that are safe, age-appropriate and, of course, stimulating.
2. Consider Children’s Interest
Do not forget to focus on considering the key interests of your kids and offer them opportunities to explore what they actually want during the session.
3. Get Yourself Engaged
Make sure you play fun games with kids. Get down on the floor and play fun construction and manipulative games to teach new things and foster their learning abilities.
You can focus on early education for kids in Australia by enrolling them on a good preschool.
Wrapping Up
These are some of the key benefits of play-based learning activities. You can incorporate fun games and activities to develop kids’ social, emotional, language and cognitive skills.
