Page 1 - LESSION 11.pmd

Play and Early Learning

Notes
11

PLAY AND EARLY LEARNING

Have you ever closely observed play activities of small children? What are the
peculiarities you have noticed? Do you know the importance of these simple
play activities in the entire life of a human being? In previous lessons, you learnt
about the significance of early childhood education leading to sound and holistic
development of children. Children like to explore, discover and play and if they
get the best environment, it will ensure proper cognitive, socio-emotional and
physical development.
During early childhood, every activity of children is attractive. The onlooker is
surprised even when the baby experiences joy in just moving arms and legs and
repeating with gurgling sounds. These are the beginnings of play and are most
valuable for the lives of children everywhere. Communities create infant toys
such as rattles, mobiles or hang bells within the child’s movement sphere to
enhance interest and creating connections with the physical environment. Self-
propelling acts become infant play and are essential for the overall development
of the child.

As the child grows, the nature of play evolves and includes response to people,
objects and willful acts of experimenting and exploring. The child may pull
something, throw an object or push a block like a train. It is in such acts that
children display their thoughts and imagination. Through play, the child
experiences different emotions and learns about the world around.

Play is universal and all of us agree that play in early childhood is children’s path
to uncovering, discovering and learning about the secrets of the physical social
world. During childhood, new skills are developed or learned through different
play activities.

In this lesson, you will learn the importance of play in the early childhood years
in the early learning of children and how it will boost their further development.

16 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION