Young children play in order to learn about the world around them. When they are engaged in meaningful play, they are actually learning and practicing the necessary skills to help them be successful in school and life. Many times as adults, we don’t realize exactly which skills children are learning in play. Because children enjoy it so much, we tend to think it’s not possible for them to be learning and having fun at the same time. But the well-known psychologist, Jean Piaget, summed it up best when he said that “a child’s play is a child's work.” One example of how children learn through play is when playing with sand or water, they use measuring cups, funnels, different-sized containers, etc., to move the water or sand. When children do this, they are practicing pre-math and pre-science skills by experimenting to see what happens, by predicting how much will fit into a container, and by understanding the cause and effect of their actions with these materials. When children play with books, some of the pre-reading skills they are learning include understanding how to hold a book, seeing print and pictures and making meaning from them, and learning that writing comes from words that are spoken. Playing also strengthens a child’s social and emotional skills by giving them opportunities to learn to work with others and to practice recognizing and handling their own emotions in response to other children. These are just a few examples of the positive benefits of play. Play encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and risk-taking—all necessary skills for being successful in other forms of learning. Meaningful and enjoyable play creates the foundation of a child’s learning through the school years, so encourage children to explore and play as much as possible, and join in yourself whenever possible!

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