As an educator I have taken numerous classes on the importance of play in children. Play is so important for their physical and cognitive development and they don’t get enough the further into school they get. The Voice of Play and IPEMA recently highlights the top PLAYful trends for 2016 and their importance in the lives of not only children but adults as well.
One of the top trends was “An hour a day”. There have been tons of studies stating the importance of play time for children yet they are losing recess time during the day. My nephews only get 15 minutes of recess all day in their elementary school. My preschool class is mandated by the state to provide at least 30 minutes of outdoor play (weather permitting). We do at least double that and still manage to get all of our lesson plans in during the day. The kids are learning to be social, problem solve, use their creativity and enjoy time outside.
Another important PLAYful trend is “Back to Nature”. Getting back to nature teaches children important science skills and teaches them to appreciate the natural world.Being outside in nature has positive effects on adults too. Being outside can reduce stress levels and we all could use that. We are spending a lot time outside this summer from local parks to the beach and camping. We get to spend time as a family away from screens and technology. We planned a big camping trip as part of our summer vacation this year and I can’t wait to see how much fun we have in the great outdoors!
Lovebug and her cousin looking for chipmunks.
You can find more of these top trends and their importance on the Voice of Play site. You can take these positive steps to add more playtime to your child’s (and your own) life this summer and see how much fun you’ll have. You will not only be adding valuable learning and development time in with your children but engaging in play with your child creates lasting memories. Happy Summer!!!
On the hunt for tiny crabs!
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What a great website filled with tons of ideas and suggestions for keeping kids playing and active!! Thanks for sharing!