Learning through play is a process by which children learn through their experiences as well as planned play experiences. Learning that is based on play introduces and teaches new skills using a relaxed, comfortable, and fun approach, says Gale Kelleher, director of Rainbow Nursery School in New York.
Meghan McGinley Crowe, Executive Director of Literacy for Little Sprouts, Inc., explains that introducing new learning processes through playful activities in which children are intrinsically interested are important. They keep children’s attention and allow them to easily commit learning to long term memory.
Play-based, multi-sensory informal learning is actually more personal and more effective for learning, says Jan Z. Olsen, OTR (creator of “Get Set for School”, a Pre-K curriculum based on playful learning techniques).
Enhancing Physical Development through Play
According to the Encyclopedia of Children’s Health [Gale, 2005], gross motor skills are the abilities required in order to control the large muscles of the body.
In preschool, children learn physical gross motor concepts and skills like balance, laterality (which means that the child is aware of the left and right sides of the body), spatial orientation (which means that the child is aware of the position of his or her body in space as well as in relation to other people and objects), and the coordination of major muscles.
“Gross motor play, including outside time, is full of pretend play and physical activity. This type of play is often easiest for an adult to enter without disrupting the flow of the activity”, says Crowe.
Fine motor skills involve the abilities required to control the small movements of the hands, wrists, fingers, feet, toes, lips, and tongue. In preschool children learn fine motor concepts and skills that allow them to grasp and manipulate small objects, write, eat, and dress themselves.
Through directed and undirected play, children are naturally able to practice and learn both gross and fine motor skills and coordination.
Activities that Enhance Gross Motor Development
- Skipping
- Jumping
- Hopping
- Climbing
- Ball throwing
- Dancing
- Swinging on swings
- Sliding on slides
- Sandbox play
Activities that Enhance Fine Motor Development
- Cutting
- Coloring
- Drawing
- Playing with play dough
- Playing with finger puppets
- Stringing and lacing activities like stringing beads, macaroni or cheerios
- Putting puzzles together
When children are able to exercise fine and large motor skills through play, they will soon learn to master proficiency in controlling movements of the small and large muscles of the body. By providing an environment for natural play-based activities, preschool teachers are able to enhance a child’s opportunity for physical development. For more preschool activities, see Online Preschool Lesson Plans.
