Play & Learn

CHILDREN are the foundation of the world's future.

CHILDREN have played at all times throughout history and in all cultures.

PLAY, along with the basic needs of nutrition, health, shelter and education, is vital to develop the potential of all children.

PLAY is communication and expression, combining thought and action; it gives satisfaction and a feeling of achievement.

PLAY is instinctive, voluntary, and spontaneous.

PLAY helps children develop physically, mentally, emotionally and socially.

PLAY is a means of learning to live, not a mere passing of time.

From the International Association for the Child's Right to Play. For complete information go to http://www.ncsu.edu/ipa

Things are not always what they appear to be. A raucous classroom full of messy children could mean chaos and disorder, a teacher who has lost control. Or, through different eyes it could be a noisy room full of busy children learning about their world through planned activity.

A common complaint from parents, and some child care providers, is that while the children are in child care, "all they do is play". "What am I paying for? Where are the worksheets and neatly colored pages that are proof of an educational program?" A child with paint on his hands is seen by some as a child needing a bath, rather than a child who has just learned that if you put red and blue paint together you get a lovely purple picture.

Children learn differently than adults. From the earliest age they must experience the world with all of their senses in order to learn from it. They must see and hear and touch and taste and smell and move. They must play. For an adult, play is what you do when the work is done. But to a child play and work are the same thing. It is the purpose of their day. Understanding how children learn through play is an important key to recognizing a quality child care program.

Children play in a variety of ways, using all their senses. When you look at a child care program look for a program that provides your child with opportunities for all types of play. Physical, active play (running, jumping, climbing, swinging, dancing, spinning, rolling), pretend or make-believe play (dressing up, acting out stories, pretending to be an adult, an animal, or a plane), creative play (drawing, painting, writing, singing, building and dancing), social play (interaction with each other and adults in group games and activities), and cognitive play (memory games, reading, counting, activities which involve exploration and discovery).

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