Summer is once again fast
approaching, and for most children there’s nothing more exciting than spending
time in the water in the company of friends and family. If you’re concerned
about the amount of time your children might spend at the pool, you might be
interested to know that pool
toys and games and other tools which encourage unstructured and guided
playtime can help heighten the pace of their mental, psychological and physical
developments.
Playtime has long been recognised
as a powerful means in the development of children, particularly for toddlers
and younger children. In fact, the United Nation’s High Commission for Human
Rights declared
that play time is the right of every child. Let’s explore the various benefits
that playtime can provide for your child.
• Brain Development
Studies on brain development have
demonstrated that the most critical time for the cognitive development of
children lies in the earliest years. Playtime stimulates multiple brain
functions by laying down neural connections and accelerating cerebellar
synapses. These factors will play a key role in the embryonic growth,
organisation and capacity of the brain. The absence of significant playtime in
the first six years will have long-lasting effects on the brain’s cognitive and
executive decision making ability.
• Motor-skills
Scientists believe that inadequate
development of motor skills for children by pre-school will lead to life-long
motor skills inefficiency and underachievement.
Unstructured outdoor play
involving toys and social games with other children seems to be a critical
factor to develop these skills. Playgrounds, for instance, provide a superb
environment to test out new motor skills and refine and enhance existing ones.
Outdoor and swimming pool toys, meanwhile, allow experimentation with various
aspects of their fine motor skills, coordination and manipulation. Spatial
awareness, reflexes, and axial movements are some other skills that children
are able to develop and master at this stage.
As they grow older, rigorous
playtime also prepares your little one for a more active and healthier
lifestyle which will be useful once they reach adulthood. Interestingly, there
is a clear correlation between physical activity during formative years and
general cardiovascular health during adulthood.
• Language Development and Social Skills
Playtime is the principal medium
for the enhancement of language and social skills as it accords many engagement
opportunities with peers of similar stage of development. The engagement
provides a platform for them to express and receive ideas and thoughts which
will hone their oral and comprehension skills. The social interaction would
subsequently introduce children to abstract concepts like ownership, conflict
resolution, turns, sharing, and social values and mores. Cultural rules and
self-identity will come a little later once they have a better grasp of their
own place and role in the social structure. Perhaps the most important aspect
here is the opportunity to learn through observation and trial and error.
• Physical Development
Physical playtime activities such
as running and swimming give an enormous boost to the physical development of
children. The sudden growth in muscle strength, agility, speed, coordination
and flexibility will often take parents by surprise!
If you enjoy my blog, please consider following me on Bloglovin'
