Free Play: Benefits for Babies and Children
Play is good for the brain from the first year of life
Every toddler has their own pace when playing. With age-appropriate toys you can help them develop their motor skills. By the way: did you know that crawling, for example, links the right and left hemispheres of the brain and is thus important for later learning to write? Watch your baby when they play: they are completely absorbed, fully focused. Eyes, hands and the whole body are engaged. In their first year your child is a researcher and explorer. They want to investigate and try things out. They learn by playing: What happens if I put something somewhere? Can I get it out again? If I throw something — can I fetch it back? And if I drop something — is it still there? In joyful play your child discovers: What effect does my action have? And another valuable life experience is stored in their little head.
Play is not mere child's play; it has great seriousness and deep meaning
This is how the educator Friedrich Fröbel wrote at the beginning of the 19th century. That this is true, however, does not mean that parents should treat their child's free play with seriousness. Insisting that every playful action must serve development robs play of its freedom and uniqueness. Be proud of every small step, every joyful smile of your baby. Trust is the most beautiful gift you can give a child at play.
Don't overwhelm your child with too many options
Place only one or two toys on their play mat at a time, which they can focus on for a while
After a few days you can swap the toys. Play together, offer suggestions, but also let your baby play alone for a while under supervision
Even the tiniest ones love to sink into their own world and try new things: nibbling, squeezing, twisting, rolling & pushing – every child has their own pace for this
Playing means intensive learning and gaining new perspectives. Gently and sensorially
Playing is fun. Playing makes you smart
When playing, your child turns on all their senses — and sets off on a big voyage of discovery with eyes, ears, hands and mouth. Every loving encouragement, every new impression shapes your child’s personality in its own way. Experience together, day by day, the fascination of discovering something new and unique. Playing is a first-class learning program, because there is no 'wrong', only a 'try again'! And when your baby is absorbed in play, give them peace and time for it. Nothing else is worth distracting them then.
In the first months of life, grasping, seeing, hearing — the development of the senses — are high on the agenda. Babies love bright colors, sounds and interesting things to touch — for example toys such as grasping toys in different materials, rattles, mobiles, cuddly animals. The smaller the children are, the more 'grasping' and 'understanding', 'holding' and 'comprehending' are linked together. In toddlerhood, things that can be moved become exciting: fabric balls, ride-on cars, tricycles. Handy building blocks or crayons with which little ones can themselves 'create something' are also interesting now.
Good to know!
Children learn through effort. Little ones are proud when they have achieved something on their own
Your baby dropped the rattle from their hand and is now struggling to catch it? Don’t jump in right away; allow them to make a real effort to reach it on their own
Parents are best placed to judge when the baby really needs help and when they are just a bit lazy. Give them the chance to feel strong through their successes
How quickly your baby learns
Babies' capacity to learn is fascinating. Never again will a person learn so much in such a short time. Through sensory stimulation, experiences and discoveries, the young brain matures. Driven by natural curiosity and the joy of the activity, babies and toddlers not only sharpen their senses but also develop their motor skills, experience basic laws of nature, and practice concentration and attention. To preserve the joy of learning, it is important that encouragement happens without pressure. Even very young babies clearly signal by turning away their faces when they have taken in enough new impressions. Respect these signals, because pauses are important to process and consolidate what has been learned.
Your baby needs space to play:
Even if your little one is not yet mobile on their own, give them plenty of freedom of movement. They need you to train their muscles and to practice movement patterns
Therefore do not put your child in a seat or a rocker for longer than necessary
On a soft blanket on the floor with interesting things to look at and grasp, it is better off and can, to its heart's content, try out what it can do with its arms, legs and whole body
With a box of building blocks or a marble run, little builders show how much imagination, creativity and spatial awareness they have. Those who, for example, like to do puzzles already perform highly complex mental work: picturing the missing piece in their head, remembering it, recognizing it — all this promotes logical and mathematical thinking. Over the years, the games become more complex and your influence on development as well as calculation and problem-solving skills increases. As long as children play, they learn.
Playing is all-around training
Just as children develop their brains through play, they also train their bodies. Sometimes they run around wildly, sometimes they examine something carefully with their fingers. But they always strengthen their heart, circulation, muscles and bone structure. Balancing on a line or jumping wildly on a trampoline improves balance and dexterity. Kicking a soccer ball and other ball games train hand-eye coordination and perception. Because children always play with their whole bodies, they get to know and control them better. Lots of exercise also helps prevent overweight. Children should preferably play outside as often as possible, because fresh air also strengthens their immune system.
Play shapes personality
When playing, children repeatedly experience different feelings: sometimes they are happy and proud when they win, sometimes sad and angry when they lose. In doing so they learn to deal with these opposing emotions. With their friends they develop empathy and compassion and learn to interact with each other. And last but not least: through play children can try things out and thus experience self-confidence and self-affirmation. It is important that no child plays like another. When the games fit the child and their age, you can best support your child. One tip: play along! Parents are their children's best and favorite playmates! Those who share beautiful moments together have a closer and deeper bond.
Assisted Play: Are Educational Games Really Useful?
Sorting colors and shapes, forming first words or solving memory tasks — when it comes to educational games, there is a rich selection for parents and children. For every developmental area, games and exercises are available across a wide range of media. Many parents are only too happy to use these offerings: after all, they want to support their children in every respect. This leads to the expectation of using leisure time as meaningfully as possible and devoting oneself to games with a concrete learning effect. What many parents forget: children learn through every game. Whether during hide-and-seek in the garden, imaginative play with knights and dolls, or splashing around in puddles and the sandbox. We took a closer look at educational games and examine in the following article how necessary and useful they are for children's development.
What educational games are available for children?
Classic children's games: Memory, Mikado, Quartett and hundreds of other classics have been played for generations. These time-honored educational games train memory and reasoning skills, vocabulary, fine motor skills and many other abilities
Educational board games: All well-known game manufacturers offer educational games with different learning focuses for the various age groups. For 3- to 5-year-olds, everyday knowledge and vocabulary are at the forefront, for example with matching games. For preschool and primary school children, reading and spelling games or arithmetic games are offered, as well as puzzle games that promote logical thinking. Educational games for children aged 8–12 combine these areas and practice logic, combinational skills and strategy
Learning software: Learning games for PC and tablet are available both as free downloads and as paid software. Since children are generally very media-savvy, these games have a particularly strong appeal. However, they are usually played alone, so the communicative aspect of play is neglected. Experts also recommend that children, depending on their age, should not spend more than 30–60 minutes per day on the PC
Other learning systems: A major trend is interactive learning books and so-called learning computers, on which children can do various games or tasks. They are an appealing change for children, but the entertainment value is usually greater than the learning effect
Let your children just play!
The possibilities for play-based enrichment are nearly limitless today, but they are not actually necessary for healthy development. Many experts even believe that free, undisturbed play in children's everyday lives is often neglected these days.
When playing, children not only exercise imagination and vocabulary; they also develop problem-solving skills, work through conflicts, and strengthen their self-confidence. Those who play tag practice gross motor skills, endurance and spatial thinking; those who build a fort must show creativity and, 'incidentally', practice basic statics.
When children get lost in crafting in their bedroom and mess around in the garden, they not only encounter a wide variety of materials, shapes and states, they also develop a sense of quantities and intuitively engage with the basics of physics and chemistry.
But the most important thing is and remains: Play makes children happy and gives them the opportunity to discover their world entirely for themselves and at their own pace.
The library: a place to try out learning games
Many libraries offer not only a wide selection of books, music and films for children, but also games
A children's library card is very inexpensive or even free.
This allows your child to calmly try out various learning games and explore their interests. Many libraries also lend out learning games for PC or CDs with language games and early musical education
To-dos for using educational games
In the right context, educational games can enrich children's lives. It's important that fun comes first and that a child can choose how they want to learn through play.
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How to avoid frustration with educational games:
Don't force it: Don't push your child into a learning game they don't feel like playing - playing should not be an obligation.
Let them choose: Consider your child's interests when choosing a game. If your child prefers a classic board game like "Mensch ärgere dich nicht", that's fine too - these games also have a learning effect.
Let them choose: When you buy a children's educational game, make sure it's designed for your child's age - games that are too easy or too difficult quickly lead to frustration.
Join in: Make play a family affair - children enjoy the time spent together and learn a lot from their parents.
Provide variety: Offer something new now and then, but above all make sure that educational games, classic board games and free play alternate so that playing is not perceived as a "mandatory test".