Make time for play

By Neil Allen
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Play time is serious time for a child. This is time they need to thrive. Research has shown that with just an hour of play every day, a child, regardless of age, will be healthier, ready to learn, learn skills like problem solving and sharing, use their imaginations, and have a reduction in stress. It doesn't have to be done all at one time, it can be broken up into chunks of time during the day, but it should be part of your planning for the day.

Play time doesn't necessarily mean running around being active. It is time when they can either be active with their bodies or their minds, or both. It is time when they're not actively engaged in learning or having to be quiet. It allows them to expend energies and build social skills.

Ways to play outside
There are so many ways for kids to play outside. The play can be structured or kids can be left to their own imaginations.

When kids are outside for structured play time they can run around playing games like tag or hide-and-seek. If there's a big enough group, you can play games like Red Rover or Mother May I? They can use playground equipment, kick a ball around the field, ride a bike or a skateboard, play hopscotch, jump rope, or play Four Square.

For unstructured play, kids can use just about anything that encourages them to use their imagination like playing in a sandbox, using ride-on vehicles, tree houses, etc. Make sure you have lots of equipment available to them in sandboxes to build sandcastles or other types of sand sculptures and vehicles to move around on sandy highways or to do the moving of sand. In the tree house, have household things like a plastic kitchen set, plastic food and dishes, a table, dolls and doll furniture, etc. This is when a child can explore the world in their own way and learn skills and knowledge that will last their whole life.

Ways to play inside
Rainy, cold, and snowy days can be challenging for play time and calls for a bit more creativity but it is do-able. Unstructured play is much easier inside but structured play is possible, too.

For structured play, you could have the students put on a parade using the materials in the dress-up box to make costumes then march around the room playing real or pretend instruments. Depending on the size of the play space, hide-and-seek is another great indoor game. Board or card games are good for helping to learn math and reading skills and potentially teamwork. They are good for learning how to be competitive and a good sport at the same time.

For unstructured play, you can have dolls and doll furniture, building blocks, small cars and other vehicles, puzzles, arts and crafts material, etc. The list is really endless. Anything that can be used to allow them to use their imaginations without interference from an adult.

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