The Benefits of Play Time for Children Essay -- Cognitive, Social, Psy

The best way for parents to teach their child is to play with them. Because indoor and outdoor play is a child's opportunity to explore his new world, it is very important for his growth. In order to help their children develop cognitive, social, and psychological skills, parents should actively participate in their child's playtime. The first step for parents to take is to give the child enough room to play. Enough play space will give way to paths, ramps, bridges, hills, etc (Strickland par. 3). Because the child will have extra room to move, his body will engage in actions, which is important for him to learn how his mind cooperates with his body. Provide tools like plastic shovels, sand buckets, or blocks of wood to encourage him to build anything he wants. Such things as sand, water, blocks, and boxes for construction are moveable. Since they are moveable, they are also changeable; he can calculate in his head what needs to go where (Strickland par. 1). The balancing, lifting, and carrying will help develop his cognitive skills because he will be using his mind to complete his project just the way he imagines it (Strickland par. 2). The movements and strategies that are accompanied by outdoor projects will enhance his motor coordination, and hone his timing skills (Muller par. 38). Dr. Katheleen Al fano, director research at Fisher Price, states that â€Å"a great deal of research has been conducted recently into the link between play and movement, and intellectual development† (Muller par. 37). Of course, the parents' role in this activity is to monitor their child's play, but to not hover or intervene. The parents may feel urged to correct the child's method of construction, but it is vital for the child to ... ...k. There is no time commitment, and the child savors the play-time just the same (Bush par. 4). There are many things to do outside to help define the child's character: read outside (Bush par. 8), gaze at the sky (Bush par. 9), listen to animal sounds (Bush par. 10), look at the many bugs, and much more. When a child sees an eccentric insect, his reaction will portray his character and personality. It also helps him explore his feelings (Bush par. 7). Allowing aggressive play and scheduling time to see the world together are ways that parents can actively participate in their child's play-time. The famous author Dr. Seuss thinks that â€Å"adults are obsolete children.† Still, parents must put adulthood aside sometimes and actively participate in their child's play-time in order to help the child develop cognitive, social, and psychological skills.