Play is a natural activity for children.The child at play is self-motivated and actively engaged. Whereas games are governed by rules, play provides freedom from evaluation and judgment. The freedom of a playful atmosphere fosters intellectual development as well as selfconstruction and the development of personality. Kindermusik Our Time recognizes the need for learning through play and incorporates play into Exploration Time, Music & Movement Story Time, and Vocal Play. In class, your child will play with you, with each other, and with the teacher through the use of props, voices, and body movement. A child’s first play is exploration. “How does this thing feel? What does it taste like? What can it do? What can I do with it?” Around age two, your child moves beyond exploration into an element of pretend play. The first stage of pretend play is imitation. During this stage, your child imitates activities that are repeated and common in her daily life; for example, your child may imitate you turning the steering wheel. As he tries to make more sense out of his world, imitative play evolves and becomes more imaginative. The complexity of pretend play can be seen when the child re-examines life experiences by adding to or changing the event.
Benefits of pretend play include:
• Vocabulary development
• Social skill development
• Differentiation between reality and fantasy
• Emotional support
**copywrite 2003 Kindermusik International
Filed under: For parents, Kindermusik | Tagged: development, Kindermusik, play, pretend
Thank you for all you do especially for music and the children!
I wonder if you’ve seen the public television aired documentary called “The Power Of Play,” the one narrated by actor John Ritter.
I’ve been trying to find a way to order a DVD of that show.
Thanks again,
Sincerely,
Jaime Austria