One thing most children have in common is a love of play. What if you could harness that love and turn it into a way for your little one to learn and grow? Purposeful play is an umbrella term for play that helps children learn new things and develop skills.
Many early childhood education centers, including Lightbridge Academy, incorporate purposeful play into their curriculums. By engaging a child’s natural sense of curiosity, exploration, and fun, purposeful play leads to deeper learning.
A Proven Way to Learn
Play-based learning may seem like a newer concept in early childhood education, but it’s a time-tested educational philosophy. German educator Friedrich Froebel is credited as the inventor of kindergarten, and developed his theory of play in the 1800s. In the earliest kindergartens, Froebel created space for children to play and learn with occasional guidance from their teachers.
This approach is centered on the idea that play is the foundation of learning. Froebel believed it was the best way for children to learn. Educators like Maria Montessori and psychologists like Jean Piaget built on Froebel’s theory, establishing play as the most natural way for children to meet developmental milestones.
The Benefits of Purposeful Play
At Lightbridge Academy, we have used these theories to build a curriculum that sees every moment of childhood as an opportunity to learn, and it works! Our child-led, teacher-guided programs create better learning outcomes; in fact, our pre-k learners have a 95% proficiency rate in kindergarten readiness skills. Beyond the academic upsides, we see the benefits of purposeful play every day at our child care centers, including:
- Physical development
- Social-emotional growth
- Willingness to try new things
- Sense of independence
- Increased motivation to learn
Purposeful Play Examples for Parents
It’s easier than you might think to bring the purposeful play your child does in the classroom into your home. Many of these purposeful play examples may be things you already do with your child. With a little extra planning and thought, you can make your home a space for purposeful play.
- Create a play space: Many early childhood education centers have special purposeful play areas. Turn a spot in your home, like a corner of your child’s bedroom, into a designated space for play. Fill it with simple toys, like age-appropriate art supplies or the balls and blocks that make up Froebel’s gifts, and give your child space to explore and create. While they’re having fun with this hands-on activity, they’re also growing their motor skills.
- Explore pretend play: Little children have big imaginations, and you can see that on display when you take part in pretend play. Whether they like to play dress-up, act out characters from their favorite movies, or give their toys a life of their own, pretend play is more than just fun. It also helps children develop creativity, hone social skills, and learn more about identity.
- Get outside: Playing outdoors is an important part of childhood, but with screens dominating our lives more than ever, today’s children may not get outside as much as their parents did. Nature walks, outdoor games like hide and seek, and scavenger hunts get your child’s body moving, which is key to proper physical development. It also helps them build on their observational and problem-solving skills.
- Include your little one: Bringing your child into at-home activities helps them learn teamwork and responsibility. A surprisingly child-friendly activity is cooking. Letting your little one help out in the kitchen can be as simple as having them make their own peanut butter and jelly sandwich, decorate a cupcake, or fix a bowl of trail mix. While they’re making a tasty snack, they’re also using their fine motor skills and experiencing STEM.
Purposeful Play at Lightbridge Academy
Lightbridge Academy knows that purposeful play is essential to whole-child development and healthy growth. Learn more about how we incorporate play for better learning outcomes when you schedule a tour.
