Why Is Play Important?

Play is essential for the children’s growth and development. According to the guidelines from the Association for Childhood Education International and the National Association for the Education for Young Children, play:

• Enables children to make sense of their world.
• Develops social and cultural understandings.
• Allows children to express their thoughts and feelings.
• Fosters flexible and divergent thinking.
• Provides opportunities to meet and solve real problems.
• Develops language and literacy skills and concepts.

Based on these rationale, play is central to the children’s learning in Amazing Kids. In the following photos, consider how play contributes to children’s cognitive, social-emotional, physical, language development. Do you notice the smiles on their faces when they play?