The importance of playing.
Play is, first of all, the child's language; it is the way they communicate. Through play, the child can express a wide range of emotions, much more than by talking.
Through symbolic play, the child practices situations and skills that will be fundamental for the future. By playing to cook a meal, being a teacher, or playing to be mums and dads, the child understands the environment that surrounds them. At the same time, it stimulates their imagination, creativeness, language, and attention.
The mutual interaction generated through play is essential to developing strong and sustainable bonds. When we play with a child, we show our interest in being with them and having fun together. The emotional connections generated when playing with another stimulate very important nervous connections in the child's brain.
The child must have educational toys that stimulate learning and development in a fun way.
Play changes as the child grow.
Imaginative and free play creates the foundations for developing essential and functional skills for the future.
The most beneficial toys for children's development are the simpler ones, without batteries, lights, and sounds. Through these toys, you can encourage language, creativity, and interaction with others.
O to 2 years old
Before the age of 2, sensory play is very important for the child to experience various textures and recognize their environment. Our sensory bottles can be an excellent option for this purpose. They encourage concentration, coordination, and a state of calm and rest. The first years of a child's life are the most important for their development, so giving them quality toys that encourage their growth is important.
Also, within this age, the child begins to walk, to control their body, and thus they need to play with toys that stimulate mobility (ex: construction games, balls, play gym)
2 to 4 years old
After the age of two, the child continues to experiment with their senses; here, you can implement our sensory boxes or spy bottles that stimulate cognitive development through the activities included. At this age, the child also starts to play symbolically, they begin to have more control of their body, and their fine motor skills continue to improve. I recommend toys such as bicycles, hammocks, constructions, paints, and role-playing here. The toys must be as simple as possible to stimulate the child's creativity and language.
4 to 6 years old
At this age, friends become an essential part of their lives; you can start implementing rule-based games such as board games where the child can play with others, take turns, and tolerate frustrations when losing.
6 to 8 years old
The child can now play more complex games, science experiments, complex constructions, puzzles, crafts, board games with more difficulty, and brain games.
8 years old and above
Play is essential for older children, teenagers, and adults; it is always healthy to have hours of leisure to have fun alone and with others. We all have hectic lives nowadays, but remember always to have some time to play and have fun!
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." (George Bernard Shaw)
