Secrets of Successful Children

Serious Play is Essential

Sometimes you might sit in wonder at the elaborate games your kids come up with. Completely engrossed even by baby toys, they enter a magical wonderland. But what is really going on in those little minds as they play to their hearts content? Well, the truth is that there are so many things it’s almost impossible to know where to start.

There are many types of 'play'. For parents today, it is important to understand the differences between the broad categories of learning the ‘ABC’s’ ... which we may term ‘Hard Skills Play’ ... and what we may characterize as‘Imaginative Play’. To be sure, both are ‘Learning’ and ‘educational’ but they are very different in presentation and desired outcome.

If you will begin to pay attention to the ads on television you will notice that many of these toys are electronic or computer driven. They certainly have a large ‘Gee-whiz’ and ‘Wow!’ factor! There is nothing ‘wrong’ with these if we keep the learning objectives in perspective. That is, they are great at teaching the basics of numbers, language, and even logic with puzzles such as ‘things that are the same’ or ‘things that don’t belong’. These ‘Hard Skills’ are the basic building blocks of formal schooling. However, these skills should never be confused with actionsthat develop personal ingenuity, the imagination, and especially social interaction. When it comes to modern electronic or computerized toys, it is important and necessary at some point to simply ‘unplug’ your child and let their minds wander down the path to their own ‘secret garden’. Simple educational wooden toys fullfill this role by enabling imagination without getting in the way.

Play Can be Simply Complex

If we take relatively simple wooden toys (ones that would by no means interest most adults for very long) and place them in the hands of a child we see amazing things happen. A child’s imagination can take a simple preschool toy and make it into complex and fascinating scenarios, all in their head. So a simple set of wooden blocks become castles with entire casts of characters and scenarios of great deeds and adventures. For this reason, it is criticalnot to overlook or ‘dismiss’ the simple wooden toys as no longer appropriate to your child’s development. This is the reason that ‘simple’ wooden toys will always be popular. To put it another way, we want to provide our children with toys THEY play WITH and not toys that play WITH THEMSELVES, with our children being mere observers.

Let’s be clear. We are not saying that modern electronic toys are of no value. We just need to realize the differing contexts of play and what is appropriate. What we ARE saying is that parents should be aware of the importance of play. Children's educational toys should be selected from many and diverse categories in order to provide not only the foundations of the ‘hard skills’ (aka the ‘3R’s) but also toys that encourage the enhancement of social, interactive, and imaginative skills.

Play is Really Not an Option for Development

As an indispensable part of growth, play benefits kids in endless ways. Each wooden toy, family game, or wooden puzzle in some way enhances skills and teaches kids about the world. Whether learning the laws of physics by playing with a marble chute or learning letter and number recognition by working on wooden puzzles, kids have the ability to turn virtually any object into a learning experience.

Play encourages children to concentrate on the task at hand in a friendly, non-threatening way. Because the task is enjoyable, kids have no idea they are gaining valuable skills ... like the ability to to directions, understanding the reasons for rules, and understanding and learning to follow them, or the ability to focus on one thing at a time. Even as adults, we know that we all do much better at tasks we take pleasure in rather than those imposed upon us (after all, what IS the difference between ‘play’ and ‘chores’?). We may call it ‘passion for our work’ and people are encouraged to choose an occupation doing what they enjoy, knowing that such enjoyment leads to learning, growth, and ultimately advancement and success.

Social Skills are Indispensable for your Child’s Success

We all want to raise our children to be valued and constructive contributors to society. We know from our own adult experiences that how a person interacts with others dictates significantly their level of success and standing in our society. Playing with other children is a fundamental part of childhood and simply cannot be overemphasized in its importance to our children’s future. Communal play teaches kids the valuable social skills that every child needs to be successful in school and later in life. As tricky as it may be, by playing together, kids learn to share with friends, they learn to take turns, and they learn self-control. Children also learn new skills from each other - both good and bad. For instance, they may learn how to climb to the top of the slide by watching an older child and then they may learn name-calling from that same child.

‘Play at it Again, Sam’

Repetition is one of the most useful ways for children to learn. Have you ever wondered at your toddler’s ability to read a story 15 times in a row and still be amazed at how the story ends? Whether learning how to ride a bike or how to build a tower, repetition is an important component of early childhood learning. Play enables kids to try, try, try until they meet with success. Not only does the repetition strengthen the skills they gain, but it also fosters greater self-esteem when the new skill is mastered.

Preparing for Independence Day

While we think of our children’s impending autonomywith mixed emotions, we really know that our goal as responsible parents is to eventually turn them out into the world as independent, happy and well adjusted members of society. It’s therefore important for kids to grow and feel self-sufficient and gain some independence from their parents. Creative play allows kids to exert some control over their actions and their life. They can begin making their own decisions within the context of play, encouraging greater self-confidence and a feeling of individualism. They play at scenarios and construct entire worlds in which they have direction and can interact at will and in numerous ways without barriers.

Curiosity is the Herald of Education

Toddlers and preschoolers use play to learn how the world works with Preschool toys. Children have an innate and almost unquenchable curiosity from just about the moment they are born. You can encourage and direct their curious minds by letting them explore new things with you nearby. Whether taking them to the Aquarium, the local Children’s museum, the park or simply by providing a rich assortment of educational toys - from wooden puzzles to playhouses to wooden blocks and science toys. Patience is the key through the 'why?' ages as they ask you questions, even if it is the 59th question in the last hour. Encourage their curiosity and you can infuse a lifelong love of learning.

The Value of Diversity in Play

Different types of play using educational toys for learning make use of different skill sets, so a wide variety of wood play toys and family games will strengthen your child cognitively, socially and emotionally. Begin by providing them with quality wooden toys.By providing your young child with many different types of play, you enable him to use different parts of his brain and become a more well-rounded child. Your child will thank you for it down the road.

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