What is Purposeful Play?

Purposeful Play is a broad term for making playtime more effective for children. If you organize the right types of play, you can help a child develop. This play can range from physical activities to mental activities. Either way, the important thing is you make sure the activities have a purpose.

Purposeful play develops many skills for children. Children develop stronger language, gross motor, fine motor, social skills, and many more. Important skills for every young one to develop.

If you want to incorporate purposeful play with your little ones. Then there are a few specific ways you can develop and hone their skills.

Books

Reading to and with the children can enhance their ability to understand language. It also helps their speaking. Additionally, reading can help children understand important concepts. Concepts like dealing with emotions, and picking up on social cues. Reading stories exposes children to ideas, concepts, and lessons ordinary conversation cannot.

Music

Music can promote improvements in language, gross and fine motor skills. We all have a song we know all the words to, even if we cannot remember what we had for dinner yesterday. It is the same for the little ones around you. If you've ever wondered why we learn the alphabet through song. Then now you know.

Adding more music to children’s playtime could be as simple as playing a song and letting them dance. Or playing dance games to stimulate and develop their gross and fine motor skills.

Puzzles

Puzzles aren't only for older children. Most children's toys are puzzles. The puzzle could be identifying which animal makes which noise. Or it could be which block shape goes in which hole. But they are all puzzles. And puzzles help children with their ability to identify patterns and problem solve.

Art Activities

Believe it or not, arts and crafts are the future of society. Because arts and crafts develop innovation. And innovation will help us get wherever we are going. Arts and crafts teach children there are no limits to imagination. And arts and crafts develop their creativity. Creativity is good because it helps them to inquire and think on their own.

Art activities give children a sense of autonomy and leadership. Two qualities they may not get in other aspects of life. Art activities help children understand creativity, autonomy, and leadership skills. These are skills that they can apply to other aspects of life as they grow.

Dramatic & Social Play

Social play helps the children in your life understand the world around them. With dramatic play, they apply and experience the concepts they see. Allowing them to learn and understand how it all works. It gives children a chance to make sense of it all.

Blocks & Building

Blocks and building play help a lot with personal control and fine and gross motor skills. They also help develop spatial awareness and motor skills.  This type of hands-on activity helps infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. And as an added bonus, block play and building help children express their creativity.

If you're interested in more of the benefits of purposeful play. Or want to check out some more activities you can bring into the classroom.

Then check out our Purposeful Play Course. You'll get a real understanding of how to apply purposeful play in the best way for your little ones.