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When giving your children the time to play, make sure that the playtime is also spent in different locations.
Allowing your child to play both inside and outside will help them learn and experience new things, all of which provides learning.
Indoor Play Locations
In addition to your own home, other indoor locations include community centers, hands-on science museums, Fun Zones, indoor gyms, indoor mini golf and rock climbing facilities.
Each setting will give your child a choice of different activities and plenty of opportunities to meet other children and socialize.
Different locations will also encourage them to learn new skills and practice old skills.
Indoor play also helps your child learn how to behave appropriately indoors, and in some instances, it also gives them more opportunities to engage in quiet play.
Outdoor Play Locations
The variety of safe outdoor play locations are nearly endless.
There is of course the backyard, which for homes with plenty of yard space, allows children to engage in pretend play, ride on power driven vehicles and bikes, build forts, play in a sandbox or play all different types of outdoor games.
Then there are parks, both parks with open areas and those with playgrounds for younger children.
There are also parks with tennis and basketball courts, horse shoe pits and other games which are suitable for older children.
Then there are outdoor water and amusement parks, mini golf, and of course the beach.
Outdoor venues give your child the opportunity to engage in more active pursuits while getting the benefits of enjoying fresh air and sunshine.
Don’t forget to allow your to child some outdoor play time during the winter months where they can sled, snowboard or build igloos and snowmen!
Activities, Clubs And Recreational Programs
After-school activities and programs are a wonderful way to provide your child with new opportunities and experiences outside of school.
This is especially true for children who live in smaller apartments or crowded cities, as these programs give them room to play while at the same time building their communication, socialization and other important skills.
Clubs are great way to allow a child to not only engage in a hobby that interests them, but also to meet other kids who share their interests.
Video Games And Technology: Good Or Bad?
With technology being used in most classrooms and growing at a rapid rate, it’s generally considered a good idea to introduce your child to the world of technology as soon and possible.
While there are computer, video and other technology games designed for very young children that aid in learning, most experts agree that the time your child spends in the virtual world should be limited.
While there is little doubt that many of these games are fun and challenging, child psychologists and other experts feel that too much time spent using technology can limit the development of your child’s creativity and imagination.
Not only does non-virtual playing such as physical activities help your child grow physically stronger, it’s also a great way to help reduce their stress and use up some of their seemingly limitless energy.
Kids also need opportunities to explore and learn the world at large through play.
Sitting in the house for long periods of time staring at a game console or computer will not give them the range of experiences needed to help them grow and mature.
Nowadays technology touches pretty much every aspect of our lives.
So allowing your child to learn about technology and how to use it is essential.
But it’s important to keep in mind that there needs to be a balance between the virtual world and the non-virtual world.
Playing Without Toys
Many parents feel they need to provide their children with unlimited toys in order to keep them entertained and encourage them to play.
While toys are handy tools that aid children’s learning through play, children should be given some opportunity to play without being overwhelmed by toys.
Growing up in a simpler time, the only toys a lot of parents we spoke to recalled playing with were a set of jacks, some Lincoln logs, a sled for winter, and bike for summer.
That didn’t hinder their ability to play.
They used old sheets to make forts over the clothes line, the bike became their steed as they acted out living on the frontier or living in a castle.
Large cardboard boxes became sailing ships and were made into clubhouses, and were even used to turn each other into robots.
Then there was red rover, races, and cloud watching, and even star watching and catching lightening bugs.
Several parents said they could play endlessly without dolls, trucks, or other more modern toys.
While their kids enjoy a nice toy collection and loved playing with their different building sets, cars, dolls, and even skate boards, they also enjoyed the afternoons when the toys were put up and they were encouraged to use their imagination to play.