Play: an essential activity to help your child grow.
From an early age, children must learn many things that seem so natural to us adults: how to pick up an object, stand up, talk, live in harmony with others , or how to manage anger and frustration . It has now been proven that it is largely thanks to play that children will be able to gradually acquire all new skills. They say play is child labor - and it's true!
So… What could be better than combining business with pleasure? We will explain everything to you.
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The game: an essential in the life of your little wolf.
Play from birth
Have you noticed that if you put your finger in your newborn's palm, it grips it tightly? This is an important reflex - an action that babies have at birth and do automatically. Looks like he's playing with you, doesn't he? However, from about 3 months, these reflexes begin to disappear. Babies then begin to move their bodies with purpose. They are definitely more interested in the world around them. They begin to explore toys and people through the senses, and they learn what objects and people are and do through this sensory play.
Reproducing your child's facial expressions, singing lullabies, exaggerating facial expressions, talking to your child: these are the simple moments that lay the groundwork for play and establish your baby's emotional security. The game therefore begins at birth, a baby is ready to play in his own way. During the first months of his life, he uses his senses to play and learn. He also often plays on his own with his hands and feet.
There is a disjunction between learning and play. Learning has long been a reference to effort, rigor and seriousness, while play often conveys an image of relaxation and pleasure. It is assimilated to a moment of reward and escape, to an activity
without constraint and without consequence on life. But it turns out that the game is actually a symbolic and educational activity. It is not an opponent of learning and is even a beneficial tool for education. But why ?
Fundamental learning
Above all, the game allows the acquisition of fundamental learning such as knowledge , know -how (through practice, implementation and the gestures that the games involve), and finally, life skills (through the behavior that allows the child to integrate into society - emotional, social and behavioral benefits). In fact, play is as much a part of healthy development as eating vegetables, reading books together, and getting a good night's sleep.
For you to better understand the impact of play in your toddler's life, think of yourself when you feel overwhelmed. Isn't your first instinct to take refuge in activities that soothe you? Gym, singing, outing with friends, walks… These activities are more than a distraction. They are a way to reconnect us, to recharge our batteries. The same goes for children, although they need a lot more play time. Frequent, daily play can help reduce your child's anxiety, stress, and irritability. It also helps to boost joy and self-esteem.
That's not all…
Play promotes cognitive growth (meaning that play is essential for healthy brain development.) Also, it allows them to learn about the world and themselves. They also learn skills they need to study, work and maintain relationships, such as:
- Self-confidence
- self-esteem
- resilience
- interaction
- social skills
- independence
- curiosity
- the ability to cope with difficult situations
Education and socialization through play
The game is also a perfect training for tomorrow. When given the opportunity to reflect, negotiate, adapt to new rules, and try again when things don't go as planned, children develop essential skills that will last a lifetime, in addition to bringing them a love of learning. This way of learning is very stimulating for them, and often much more effective, because children are necessarily more motivated and focused. For older children, play changes the relationship children have with the school environment and introduces healthier relationships between classmates, developing teamwork, communication and mutual respect.
The game also allows parents to get closer to their children and have fun. You are your baby's first playmate. Play is a fun way to bond with your baby and promote healthy development. But
attention ! As parents, we know full well that it is often tempting to want to control everything. A parent or caregiver can support and participate in their child's play activities, but here's our little advice: give your children the time, freedom and choice to play. If an adult makes all the decisions about how, what and when the child plays, the child does not enjoy their gaming experiences.
If you decide to participate in your child's play, be careful not to try to take over and force the incorporation of your ultimate learning goals into their play. Structured, adult-led activities have their time and place. .
Explain to them that it is important to learn from their mistakes, to try again and to believe in themselves. Children also need to experiment and learn on their own, so they can become confident and capable when faced with new situations. Knowing when to fit into your child's play is essential.
All we have to do is try to go along with them without being too much on them, because that's how they will learn to cope in the real world.
Gaming and digital technology
When we talk about games, it makes sense to address digital technologies that are now totally in the era of our time.
If you've ever wondered if it's worth fighting with your child over how much time they spend in front of a phone, tablet or TV, the answer is yes! While certain types of technology can improve the way children learn and socialize, excessive screen use can impact their bodies, minds, and relationships. Spending too much time on screens has also been linked to insufficient sleep, poor grades and an increased risk of obesity. Even if it is sometimes tempting to put your child in front of a digital game to have some time for himself, try to limit his time spent in front of the screen. The younger the child, the fewer digital devices they have to use.
By reducing the use of digital games, children can spend more time interacting with family and real life. Limiting screen time can have a positive effect on the physical, social and behavioral well-being of children.
It is advisable to limit screen time to one hour a day for children aged 2 to 5 years and to avoid screen time altogether for babies and children under 18 months. An exception to this rule for all young children can be video chatting with family and friends, which builds communication skills. When not plugged in, toddlers and preschoolers have more time to develop important skills. As we have already explained, simple play activities are deceptively important for learning and development.
of creativity. Children with limited screen time also have more time to develop their communication skills, move their bodies and rest.
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The Magic Mat: a must for learning.
We told you: it is through play that children learn to know the world. This has never been so true with the Magic Mat: it makes their imagination work and makes them aware of places in the world, animals and colors from an early age. Can we briefly explain the principle to you?
The Magic Mat encompasses interaction, education and sustainability in the form of a cute world map that ignites baby's curiosity and passion. This awakening mat (also acting as a puzzle and activity mat) can be used from birth without age limit, and with several levels of difficulty.
Thus, the Magic Mat will be there to accompany children from an early age, and this will continue even when they grow up.
- 1st step : the awakening mat.
This first stage of the Magic Mat allows the child to stimulate each of their senses, especially since it offers a variety of activities. Baby will develop their visual perception and learn more about using their little fingers! The play mat is a fun place to learn.
- 2nd step : build your own play space with the puzzle.
By doing puzzles, children exercise their fine motor skills, improve their hand-eye coordination and practice concentration and patience.
- 3rd stage : the Magic Mat improves literacy.
Children are born wired to learn language. From birth, they learn language and literacy skills through play and interaction. Babies and young children learn new words when adults describe what they see, hear and do. Songs and poems connect syllables to rhythms. It helps children develop their listening skills and learn the sounds of words. So, what better than an interactive and musical activity mat for this?
The Magic Mat allows the development of thinking and the ability to solve problems in a musical and fun atmosphere. In this third stage, your mini will be able to marvel at the colors, discover the animals and the world. The pen will ask him to indicate such and such a thing, which will directly promote his learning and his culture in a playful way, without real risks. A small voice will be there to guide him and introduce him to words and syllables all in melody.
- 4th stage : different levels of difficulty are offered as well as language learning.
Indeed, the possibilities of games are multiple so that he never gets tired of it. For the older ones, puzzles make the game a little trickier. There is also the possibility of recording your own voice with the pen. Finally, the Magic Mat offers baby the opportunity to improve their language learning thanks to its multilingual qualities: French, English and Spanish are on the program.
In conclusion, it's clear that play fuels curiosity, stimulates creativity and inspires a love of learning that will last a lifetime. It lays the foundation for literacy, promotes development and fulfills baby's innate need to learn. It also encourages parent/child communication and helps parents understand their child's body language. Learning to play well, both by themselves and with others, allows children to be content and sociable.
At Looping, we recognize the importance of play for the healthy development of children. This is why we decided to imagine the Magic Mat, a game which will bring maximum benefits to the child and which will best optimize his learning and his culture. Give him all the cards to become the best version of himself.
Sources:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-play-helps-childrens-development#:~:text=Play%20improves%20the%20cognitive%2C%20physical,confidence
https://www.epl.ca/blogs/post/importance-of-play-for-kids/
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?autologincheck=redirected?nf Token=00000000-0000-0000 -0000-000000000000
https://learningthroughplay.com/why-play
https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/10-reasons-why-play-important/
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