Children Learning Through Play.

“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them”. -Leo F. Buscaglia.

‘Play’ has been the bedrock for learning and development in children since the early years. Children discover several things when they engage in different forms of play without a conscious realization that they are learning. The world is evolving rapidly, and this is also affecting how children play and learn. Unfortunately, many children are now overwhelmed with various forms of explicit learning right from an early age which in most cases does not yield the best outcome. Child learning and development process is distorted due to inadequate play time leading to a variety of learning and emotional disabilities (Nicolopoulou, 1993).

In contrast to popular belief, play is not frivolous. Maria Montessori once said, “Play is the work of a child”. It is an outlet through which a child relates to the world they live in. Then, why are children been denied what they know and enjoy how to do best? Studies have also revealed how critical and imperative play is to a child’s brain development.

The significance of play to child development and learning is substantial. This includes physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. All forms of play such as playing with toys, outdoor play or pretend play brings about holistic development in a child. In contrast, a child with insufficient playtime will overtime develop emotional issues, such as attention deficit disorder which are experienced by many children in today’s world (Yogman et al., 2018).